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

DATE: THURSDAY, November 10, 1994                   TAG: 9411100112
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

MEXICO CITY- AT&T Corp., seeking to cash in on Mexico's appetite for better communications, announced Wednesday a $1 billion venture with Mexican conglomerate Alfa to provide business and residential phone service.

AT&T, the leading U.S. long-distance company, said the investment would be spread out over four to six years.

Mexico has only eight phone lines for every 100 inhabitants despite a rapid and ongoing overhaul. The companies said the alliance would combine AT&T's brand, product and services range, reputation, technology and network expertise with Alfa's broad customer base and local experience in high-growth industries.

Alfa, which posted 1993 revenues of $2.5 billion, employs 22,000 Mexicans making a variety of products from polyester and nylon fibers to aluminum engine heads. This will be its first major foray into telecommunications.

MCI Communications Corp., GTE International Telecommunications Inc., Sprint Corp. and Bell Atlantic Corp. also have announced plans to enter Mexico.

Farmers to harvest record corn crop

WASHINGTON - Farmers can look to record corn harvests this year, but it probably will mean lower prices. The Agriculture Department also is forecasting new production records for soybeans and cotton.

The department predicted Wednesday that corn production will total 10 billion bushels, breaking the 1992 record of 9.48 billion.

The corn-growing season was ideal in most areas this year, contrasting with the flooding and drought that held the 1993 harvest to 6.344 billion bushels. But the increase resulted in a lower price estimate for the crop, down 5 cents a bushel to between $1.85 and $2.25.