Submitted for use on: Dec. 22, 2023
Word Count: 335
Agriculture continues to be a necessary source for our state's and communities' development, contributing an estimated $35.1 billion to Indiana's economy each year.
To help ensure continued success, I, as chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, make sure to actively study the state of agriculture in Indiana and challenges our farmers face. This is why I appreciated hearing from Corteva Agriscience CEO Chuck Magro at the Economic Club of Indiana lunch earlier this month.
There, Magro identified Corteva – headquartered in Indianapolis – as one of Indiana's top five largest companies by revenue with more than 2,000 Indiana employees working daily on new agricultural innovations, which has helped farmers mitigate the threat of disease and produce higher crop yields.
Unfortunately, food desserts are a real problem. As I studied in this year's Land Use Task Force meetings, too many residents in our rural communities must drive miles to access healthy food. Corteva's innovations help make cultivating and harvesting food easier and faster, which is beneficial in producing more food for current and growing communities here and abroad.
Indiana is the seventh-largest agricultural exporter in the nation, exporting $7.4 billion in 2022. With agriculture companies like Corteva working with local farmers and researchers to improve crop results and farming efficiency, our state's leadership can expand as we continue to support growing global demands for food.
But even with the best seeds and innovations, nothing can replace the more than 94,000 Indiana farmers who put in the work to plant, grow and harvest crops. This is why I appreciate the work companies like Corteva are doing to support our farmers and look forward to seeing how their partnerships continue to benefit our state.
I also anticipate considering agriculture legislation during the 2024 legislative session to better support our state's agriculture community. Committee hearings, legislative calendars, agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation can be viewed online at iga.in.gov.
If you have any questions or concerns on these or other topics, feel free to contact me at Senator.Leising@iga.in.gov or 317-232-9493.
-30-
State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) represents Senate District 42,
which includes Decatur, Fayette, Ripley and Rush counties, and portions of Franklin, Jennings and Shelby counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
