Pence Discusses Ag’s Innovation and Creativity

Vice President Mike Pence said National Ag Day provides an opportunity to point out how advanced American agriculture has become.

"America's farmer's have long led the world in innovation and achievement, and as this group knows better than anyone, working in American agriculture today is a far, far cry from your grandfather's farm."

Speaking at USDA headquarters, the Vice President said he sees the connections between ag and space in his role as the chairman of the National Space Council.

"Through the work of the council I've seen advances that we've made in space, but I've also seen how how American agriculture today uses the technologies of today and tomorrow to increase productivity, maximize crop yields, and prepare for extreme weather events."

"Remote sensing allows for soil mapping, so that farmers can plant the right crops in the ideal soil and better-design the irrigation systems," Pence added.  "Weather satellites help farmers and ranchers monitor and predict weather patterns and plan accordingly, and of course GPS has revolutionize farming."

Pence said agriculture accounts for nearly one-tenth of the nation’s economy, in large part, exporting more than 100 billion dollars worth of agricultural goods every year.

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