Virginia Leaf Rebounds But Profits Tight

Source from:  tobaccofarmquarterly.com Oct. 18, 2006 10/20/2006

Virginia tobacco is regaining some acreage, but rising costs have affected some farmers, according to an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Historically Virginia's top cash crop, tobacco was surpassed by soybeans in 2004. As acreage and prices declined, tobacco fell to fourth place in 2005 with $69.5 million in cash receipts, behind soybeans, tomatoes and corn for feed. Yet there are signs that U.S.-grown tobacco is regaining some of the competitive ground it lost in the 1990s to cheaper foreign-grown leaf. This year, Virginia farmers have raised about 17,000 acres of flue-cured, a heat-dried variety that is the main type of tobacco used in cigarettes. That's up 22 percent from 2005 but still below 2004 acreage. Enditem