Virginians Sign up for Buyout of Tobacco Quotas

Source from:  Richmond Times-Dispatch 03/16/2005

Producers of Virginia's largest cash crop have started signing up for a $10 billion buyout of U.S. tobacco quotas, despite a software delay that has thrown a hitch in the process. Tens of thousands of tobacco farmers and quota owners in Virginia are eligible for payments from the buyout, which Congress approved in October. The application period began yesterday and will last until June 17. Farmers and quota owners should go to their local U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency office to fill out forms for the buyout. The sign-up process hit a bump this week because USDA software that was scheduled to arrive at local Farm Service Agency offices has been delayed. FSA employees in Virginia and North Carolina have been processing applications manually, and several office managers said Tuesday that they are asking people to call ahead and make an appointment."We do have a lot of people who are coming in without appointments, so we are trying to take care of them, too," said Randy Yarbrough Jr., executive director of the Pittsylvania County FSA office. Yarbrough said he expects that his office will see about 2,200 people who are eligible for quota buyout payments. "We definitely can always use more staff for a sign-up of this magnitude, but we are handling the customers, and I think we are doing it pretty well." Enditem