Soybeans Top Tobacco Among Virginia's Crops

Source from:  wkyt.com RICHMOND, Va. 11/28/2005

Tobacco has historically been Virginia's top cash crop. Now, it lost its crown to soybeans. Last year, soybeans generated 124.3 (M) million dollars in cash receipts for the state's farmers. The Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service says tobacco dropped to Number two, with 112.9 (M) million dollars in cash receipts. The toppling of tobacco _ which was planted by Jamestown settlers in the 1600s _ did not come as a surprise. Tobacco acreage has contracted in Virginia for decades. Production has spiraled downward in recent years for several reasons, including lower U-S smoking rates, the federal tobacco-quota buyout and cheaper leaf from countries like Brazil and Africa. Enditem