 Mr. President, these are the state directors of agriculture and commissioners and having been a governor yourself, you know very well the important responsibility that they carry. And as you know also, I was one of them before you chose me to come out here and to help you. And I'm very proud of them and I know they're proud of you, Mr. President. I'm very happy to see you here and I have to apologize for being late. Sometimes there are days that are worse than others and you start getting behind schedule along about the first meeting in the morning. Now that you've identified yourself with all of you, the only thing I can identify myself with is having a ranch and to show you my astute handling of agriculture I remember at one time where I thought, gee, there's a lot of this ranch going to waste out here and I decided that I could raise our own eggs and I wouldn't have to buy eggs. And we did, had nice fresh ranch eggs every day, and it cost a dollar and sixty-five cents a piece. But I think the last time we all met was on St. Patrick's Day in 1981 and maybe some of the personnel has changed but I see some nodding heads and I really only brought that up because it reminded me of a story that I think I would like to tell. It was the little Irishman that was in court, wrapped all the way up to hearing bandages and claimed the result of an accident was suing for four million dollars, won the suit, the lawyers for the insurance company went over and said to him, you're never going to enjoy a penny of that. We know you're faking, we're going to follow you 24 hours a day on the first time you move, we've got you. And he said, will you now? Well he said, let me tell you what's going to happen to me. He said they're coming in with a stretcher, they're going to take me out and downstairs they're putting me in an ambulance that's going straight to Kennedy Airport and there they're putting me on the stretcher, on an airplane, flying direct to Paris, France and when we get there they're taking me off the plane and putting me in an ambulance, we're driving to the shrine of lords and there you're going to see the damnedest miracle you ever saw. Well we hope that you're going to see the greatest miracle that you've ever witnessed. The, I think farmers believe in miracles and for good reason. Since the end of the last decade, American agriculture has been under the gun. The inflation, recession and jump in industries that hurt the economy as a whole were a catastrophe for farmers. I think they were caught more in the cost price squeeze than any other segment of our society. They found cost rising at the same moment the prices of their products were dropping. Revitalizing the health of our economy and getting inflation under control as you were aware has been a priority number one for this administration and I'm proud of the success that we've had and throughout the country we're witnessing a surge of growth in the economy. The economy expanded 6.2 percent last year and January's hefty jump in the leading economic indicators suggest that we'll continue to have a robust growth rate. Now let me assure you today I'm aware of the problems of your industry and this administration is absolutely committed to ensuring that the American farmer has a full share of the economic prosperity that our country is heading for. We aren't going to be satisfied until times are good again down on the farm. And the progress we've made in controlling inflation has already helped farmers as you're well aware. We took it from double digits to under 4 percent last year and that's the lowest in 16 years. Interest rates, another heavy weight on our farmer's shoulders have been brought down although still not enough. They've got to come down further. The prime rate was 21.5 percent when we took office and it's barely half that 11 now. I believe that our efforts toward deregulation and decontrol have also helped the farmers. How many of you can remember the howls of anguish when right after the inauguration I said I was going to decontrol the price of oil? That was one of the first acts as president and the Liberals had a feel they made wild charges that decontrol would bring sky high oil prices. Well that's not the way it worked out. By freeing the market we unleashed new exploration, production went up and today the price of gas at the pump is lower than it was three years ago when we decontrolled it. Now a gallon of gas costs 80 cents less today than it would have if we hadn't decontrolled and if prices had continued rising at their 1980 rate. This word fairness is being used a great deal. I think that's fairness. Farmers have put up with unpredictable weather but during the last administration it was the unpredictable government policies that hurt the most. Just when farmers could at least stand it they had their legs knocked out from under them with an ill advised grain embargo against the Soviet Union. This damaged our farmers while inflicting little harm on the Soviets. They could find what they wanted someplace else. The percentage of grain supplied by our growers to the Soviets as you know is dropped dramatically. As you're aware we promised and we have lifted the embargo. We've also negotiated a long term agreement that requires the Soviets to buy 50 percent more U.S. grain than they did under the old agreement. Now I believe these accomplishments together with economic recovery mean that better days are ahead for the farmers and we're convinced that in the long run open markets abroad and stable economic conditions at home will be better for farmers than federal management and handouts. At home stable economic growth is the order of the day. Abroad we're doing our best in the long and arduous process of opening markets for our farm products. We've challenged the European community's use of export subsidies and we're negotiating with Japan to further open its markets for U.S. farm products. It's a step-by-step process and we're committed to vigorously representing the interests of our farmers in every corner of the world. Instead of going on with these examples let me just say that a strong farm economy is vital to a lasting recovery. Agriculture is crucial to our balance of trade and 23 million jobs are connected to the food and fiber industry. From the farm to the shipping dock from the processors to the supermarket those 23 million job holders are engaged and to improve the lot of our farmers we're anxious to strengthen cooperation between the federal government and the states. I am grateful for all your organization is doing to enhance this cooperative spirit and I also appreciate the innovative effort you've made to promote American farmers as exemplified by your food and agriculture exposition in Atlanta Georgia. Secretary Block has given me glowing reports of this show and I understand that cooperative efforts are already underway for next year's exposition in Kansas City. A working group within the Cabinet Council on Food and Agriculture is conducting a comprehensive review of all food and agriculture programs and we're laying the foundation for a farm bill in 1986 and outlining a proposal for a food and agriculture policy for the future. I hope that you will be cooperating with this working group and I know they'll need the benefit of your insights. I have every confidence that while times are rough on the farm together we can make certain that they get better. I appreciate you being here and good luck and God bless you. I'm Leonard Koonsman from the state of Oregon that state that sits right there on top of California. Yes I know. We appreciated your visit to our great state and at this time on behalf of my colleagues I want to thank you and your staff for taking time to be with us and I had some things that I was to say to you this morning in regards to a message what's happening down on the farm, what problems we're having, the good things that's happening but you know you covered them all and I really believe that you're very knowledgeable in the field of agriculture. I'm not going to bore you with those things but I do have one little article that was handed to me this morning can you imagine from the state of Georgia and Tommy Irwin the commissioner down there of agriculture one know if I would present this to you this morning and I think you'd enjoy reading that tonight when you go to bed. That's short guys Tommy there he is thank you very much. It's just how all of us feel about the job that you're doing here in the White House we're real proud of you. We also know that you're a rancher and one time we saw when you jumped off of that helicopter you're something you were worrying looked like it needed replacing so we want to give you that as a token appreciation for all the good work you're doing here now and during the next many years. Hey, thank you very much National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Very much, I hope I can wear that for five more years. We also know it's a military secret the size of the belt and we can't put that way. Thank you very much well I'm most grateful to you and thanks I didn't didn't expect to go away with a gift and I'm very pleased and proud all right thank you all very much that was unsolicited that's another thing that's another thing we have in common. He's kicking me out. Well they're waving over here at the door. All right I'm still behind schedule.