Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 28, 1990                   TAG: 9004280194
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

WEATHER HEARTENS FARMERS/ OFFICIALS UPBEAT ON CROP OUTLOOK

"This spring is just about picture perfect. With the rain that we've had and temperatures cool and now warming up, it's almost the perfect situation for corn," Virginia Farm Bureau Federation spokesman Gregory K. Hicks said.

Virginia farmers have seeded about 15 percent of the 530,000 acres of corn they intend to plant this year, Hicks said.

Corn plantings are up by 20,000 acres over last year, according to a state Agriculture Department survey. Corn is the state's largest cash crop.

"As far as corn and many of the other major crops are concerned, this is the most optimistic growing season in years," Hicks said.

Winter wheat plantings are also up, by 30,000 acres to 330,000 acres, according to the survey.

Tobacco plantings are up slightly, with farmers planning 52,290 acres. Last year's total was 49,690 acres, Agriculture Department statistician Jerry Ramirez said.

Virginia farmers plan to grow 5,000 acres of cotton, compared with 2,700 acres last year. "It's been on the rise in the state for some time," Hicks said.

Plantings for three other large crops are down this year. Farmers plan 15,000 fewer acres of rye, 10,000 fewer acres of soybeans and 5,000 fewer acres of barley, Ramirez said.

"This is not concrete. We surveyed farmers in March to see what they intended. We will survey them in June to see what's actually in the ground," Ramirez said.

Corn farmers have been encouraged by steady high prices in recent months, Hicks and agricultural market experts said. National corn reserves are down, which is keeping prices high, Hicks said.

"If we continue to have good growing conditions and good prices, farmers may not be too bad off for a change," Hicks said.

Apple growers are a major exception to the rosy scenario, Hicks said. Three frosts in quick succession did severe damage to the Red Delicious crop, he said.

"It pretty much wiped that out. And Red Delicious is the most plentiful one in Virginia," Hicks said. "Lat year Alar hurt them and this year it's the weather."

Apple sales dipped nationwide last year in the wake of news reports about the potentially carcinogenic pesticide Alar, which was commonly used on apples.