Every day two million U.S. farmers focus on providing Americans the food and fiber so critical to our economy and culture.  Those farmers and the industry that supports them are so efficient, that very few Americans ever think about the origin of the products sold at our local markets.  March 19 through 25 is the one week that the rest of the country sets aside to acknowledge those invaluable contributions of agriculture. 

"With our leadership role in Southern agriculture, we wanted to also take a leadership role in bringing attention to National Agriculture Week," said Randy Dismuke, Delta and Pine Land (D&PL) senior vice president for the US business.  "We started with a simple idea to get a few facts in the hands of the general public.  Our employees volunteered to hand out small cards while they go about their daily lives.  The cards provide a few facts about the cotton industry in particular.  Once we started contacting our business partners and vendors, we found that there are numerous organizations and businesses in the Cotton Belt who want to help sing the praises of the farmers in their communities.  We even have a bank willing to distribute at all of its branches."

The cards were drafted with the assistance of the National Cotton Council.  The message "Great Fashion and So Much More" highlights some of the contributions the industry makes and invites people to thank a farmer.  Facts on the card include:

• Cotton is a primary component of items as diverse as U.S. currency and home furnishings.

• The cotton industry directly creates more than 400,000 jobs each year and far more are cotton-related.

• $40 billion in revenue comes from the cotton industry.

• Arizona, Arkansas and California had the highest production per acre in 2005.

• Texas, Mississippi and Georgia had the greatest area in production in 2005.
   

 For more information on National Agriculture Week (March 19 through 25, 2006) and National Ag Day (March 20), please see the official Ag Day website.

Delta and Pine Land Company is a leading commercial breeder, producer and marketer of cotton planting seed.  Headquartered in Scott, Mississippi, with multiple offices in eight states and facilities in several foreign countries, D&PL also breeds, produces and markets soybean planting seed in the U.S.