DATE: Saturday, October 25, 1997            TAG: 9710250587

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   41 lines

TOBACCO IN VIRGINIA

Tobacco is Virginia's leading cash crop, bringing in one-fourth of

the state's total crop income, and is the source of employment for

more than 130,000 Virginians.

TOBACCO

Facts about tobacco farming in the United States, according to the

Department of Agriculture.

Main types of tobacco:

Flue-cured, grown mainly in North Carolina, Virginia, South

Carolina and Georgia. About 974 million pounds expected to be sold

in 1997.

Burley, grown mainly in Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and West

Virginia. About 699 million pounds to be sold this year.

Two-thirds of cigarette tobacco is grown in North Carolina and

Kentucky.

Number of tobacco farmers:

About 59,000 in Kentucky, 18,000 in North Carolina. Remaining

47,000 scattered over several states.

Average acreage in North Carolina is 17.1 acres, 4.5 acres in

Kentucky.

Value of crop:

In 1996, about $2.95 billion.

The net for farmers averaged between $1,900 and $2,200 an acre.

Government programs:

A quota permits the holder to market a set allotment of tobacco

each year. The quota is often leased to a farmer who actually grows

the crop and splits the proceeds with the holder.

The price support guarantees a floor price and ensures that

farmers are paid if the bid on their tobacco at an auction falls

below that amount.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu