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

DATE: SATURDAY, March 16, 1991                   TAG: 9103160386
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

AGRICULTURE EVENT AT TECH CANCELED

Agri-Tech, the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' annual showcase for its programs and projects for the past decade, has been canceled for 1991.

Animal Industry Day, which is part of Agri-Tech but 17 years older, will be held July 12 as scheduled. Officials expect the entire program to resume in 1992.

"The budget reductions have been so terrible we can't spend a penny we don't have to spend," said Andy Swiger, associate dean of the school.

Few state dollars are used for the event, which is underwritten by private sponsors.

But the university does provide personnel, said Dean James R. Nichols. "It takes a lot to put this together. With the added workload, because of budget constraints and everything else, we thought it would be prudent to defer it this year.

"We've lost a lot of people over here. . . . We have to conserve in any and every way possible."

The event attracts farmers, legislators and industry leaders from across the state.

"It was a nice affair and it gave the college a chance to show off - to show and tell what we were doing to industry and legislators and certainly to the general public," Swiger said. "It's a very positive event. We're disappointed we don't get to do it. But it would not be prudent to divert our energies to that at this point in time."

Sponsors already have agreed to back some of the events for 1992, Nichols said. "We'll be better prepared by then. We'll know what people we'll have available and we can plan accordingly with a reduced staff - we can plan a quality program that fits resources we have. This time, we just didn't know what we could count on."

Nichols said he did not know whether a third or possible fourth round of budget cuts would eliminate more staff members from the college.

"There was just uncertainty about everything."

Animal Industry Day, which traditionally attracted a large crowd to hear a nationally known speaker and enjoy a barbecue spread on Friday, will be offered as usual this year with educational sessions on beef, horse, swine and sheep research.

by CNB