ag-formation

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                                  Telephone (803) 734-2210

D. LESLIE TINDAL, COMMISSIONER                                        Becky Walton, Director of Public Information

P.O. Box 11280, Columbia, South Carolina 29211                                              bwalton@scda.state.sc.us

www.scda.state.sc.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2001

COLUMBIA—South Carolina tobacco markets are scheduled to open 15 days earlier this season than the 2001 season. The USDA recently announced that Area B (South Carolina-border North Carolina) Type 13 tobacco will open Tuesday, July 24, 2001.

Opening dates are determined annually for flue-cured tobacco sold at designated auction markets.  Based on recommendations made by the Flue-Cured Tobacco Advisory Committee at a recent meeting in Raleigh, NC, USDA established opening dates for each marketing area to mark the beginning of the marketing season.

Tobacco opening dates for all areas are:

• Area A (Georgia-Florida)    Type 14 tobacco July 24
• Area B (South Carolina-border NC)  Type 13 tobacco July 24
• Area C (Eastern North Carolina)   Type 12 tobacco July 25
• Area D (Old Belt - North Carolina-Virginia) Type 11 tobacco July 25

For more information, call Tommy Coleman, 843-665-5154.

• opened on August 8, 2000/closed on October 18, 2000
• total of 71,985,414 pounds sold at a value of $126,948,894
• excellent weather conditions prevailed during the 2000 growing season---a welcome relief from the drought conditions of ’99
• better quality and premium prices that the industry so needed
• total volume and value were down from ‘99 due to 18% decrease in quota
• grade bid averages were up and the volume of tobacco placed under loan decreased dramatically
• number of sets of buyers and graders declined from 37 to 31
• 82% of the volume sold this past season (59 million pounds of the 72 million pounds total) was marketed in bales as opposed to sheets