Agriculture is an important driver of Indiana’s economy.
We are blessed with good soil, plentiful rainfall, and an
infrastructure that allows our agricultural industry to thrive.
Producers provide jobs, make significant contributions to the local tax
base in most counties, and are an integral part of their community. It
is in everyone’s best interest to grow this great asset as much as
possible. 
More than 15 million of the 23 million acres of land in Indiana is
devoted to agriculture. Most farmland is used to grow grain and other
crops, generating $4 billion in cash receipts each year. And of that
grain, most is fed to livestock, which accounts for more than $2
billion in cash receipts a year.
The economic powerhouse of agriculture generates jobs and income for
many people who do not work on farms. The Indiana hog industry alone
employs more than 13,000 people ranging from input suppliers and
producers to processors and businesspeople. It generates an estimated
$44 million of personal income and $2.9 billion of gross state product
annually. With numbers like these, you can understand my goal of
doubling Indiana’s pork production in 10 years.
Producers understand their responsibility to their communities and are
good stewards of the land and animals that are their livelihoods.
Working closely with the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management and
other state regulatory agencies, Indiana farmers have been able to
improve the state’s water and land resources.
It is with this in mind that I encourage the citizens of Indiana to
recognize the economic development opportunities agriculture has to
offer. Agriculture adds $2.5 billion to Indiana’s economy every year,
and we all must support this industry. Growing Indiana agriculture is
good for the state’s economy and critical to ensuring that it can
provide the food and fiber we need today and tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Mitch Daniels
Indiana Governor
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