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

DATE: FRIDAY, May 21, 1993                   TAG: 9305210335
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Short

$870,759 CLAIMED IN MILK REFUNDS

The Montgomery-Giles Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service has reported that eligible Virginia milk producers claimed nearly $870,759 in refunds by either reducing or not increasing their 1992 milk marketings over 1991 levels.

Producers paid an assessment on all milk sold during 1992.

Eligible dairy farmers in Virginia filed 507 refund applications based upon reduced 1992 milk sales of 51,484,817 pounds.

The assessment rate on milk marketings as of May 1 will go up 5.1 cents to 16.35 per hundredweight for the rest of the calendar year. The rate reverts to 11.25 cents per hundredweight on Jan. 1, 1994.

The service also announced that the official grazing and haying period closed on April 1 for acreage conservation reserve and conservation use acreage for payment, including the required 8 percent.

County Executive Director W. Terry Altizer said farm program participants may not hay or graze the acreage before Aug. 31, the principal growing months.

Altizer said farmers who do not comply with the restrictions could lose program benefits.

For more information on Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service programs, call 382-3961 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

by CNB