For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 17, 2001
National Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Week Proclamation
National Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Week, 2001
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our Nation's agriculture industry represents 13 percent of our economy and remains central to our prosperity at home and our competitiveness abroad. At the core of this industry are countless dedicated farmers and ranchers working to produce food stuffs at a level of efficiency and quality unrivaled around the globe. In many ways, agriculture ranks among the most crucial of our Nation's industries; and yet, its reliability and productivity are often taken for granted.
Our farmers and ranchers face significant
challenges and uncertainty, from inclement weather to damaging
insects. They also face health and safety dangers, from
exposure to chemicals and the operation of machinery to tending
livestock. In 1999, the agriculture industry suffered more
than 770 deaths and 150,000 disabling injuries. Of these
victims, many were children and young people injured or killed in
preventable farm and ranch accidents.
Progress is being made in developing
technology that makes farm and ranch work safer. Safety
equipment features for tractors, such as roll-over protective
structures, bypass starter covers, and hazard warning lights, aid in
the prevention of injuries and save lives. Sunscreens,
hearing protection devices, and other personal protective equipment
reduce the serious health problems caused by toxic gases, chemicals,
and harsh environmental conditions. We must increase
awareness of the availability of safety and health protection
measures. I encourage farmers and ranchers to develop safety
and health plans that meet the needs of their businesses, families, and
employees. Safety equipment should be installed, maintained
regularly, and used consistently. Children also must be
taught to recognize risks on the farm and ranch and to help with chores
safely.
Despite many hazards and uncertainties,
America's farmers and ranchers remain among the most dedicated and
productive contributors to our Nation's economy. I am
committed to supporting the American farmer and rancher, and my
Administration will help those facing financial difficulties caused by
storms, droughts, or any other unforseen natural
catastrophe. In times of emergency, farmers and ranchers
will get the assistance they need, when they need it. I
recently signed a $5.5 billion agriculture supplemental bill that
affirms my commitment to maintaining a strong and healthy agricultural
economy.
My Administration also will support
tax-deferred savings accounts to help farming and ranching families
guard against downturns. To keep farms and ranches in a
family from generation to generation, we are eliminating the death
tax. Finally, farmers and ranchers need foreign markets to
sell their products, and I will work hard to ensure that agriculture is
a top priority in future trade negotiations.
Our Nation owes a debt of gratitude to our
farmers and ranchers for helping to ensure stability in our economy,
for providing food products that amply meet all our citizens' needs,
and for representing what is best about America. They show
the character and values that have made this country strong, values of
love and family, faith in God, and respect for nature. We
honor them by encouraging safe farming and ranching practices that
improve and protect the lives of all farmers and ranchers.
NOW, THEREFORE I, GEORGE W. BUSH,
President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim the week of September 16 through September 22, 2001, as
National Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Week. I call upon
agriculture-related agencies, organizations, and businesses to
strengthen their commitment to provide quality safety and health
training to farmers, ranchers, and their families. I also
call upon citizens to recognize the sacrifice and dedication of those
individuals and communities whose work in agriculture provides the
quality food that we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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