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Maryland Tobacco Auction Open
Market will have seven selling days over two week period
HUGHESVILLE – The
2004 Maryland tobacco auction begins a two-week run today, Tuesday, March 23, at 9 a.m. at
the Hughesville warehouse. The auction at the Hughesville warehouse will be followed later
in the day by Farmers warehouse auction.
Both warehouses are located along Rt. 5
between Bryantown and Hughesville, Charles County. As much as 2.175 million pounds of
tobacco grown on 1,500 acres during 2003 may be sold during the auctions.
The 2003 production, which is the lowest
in the state’s history, will be auctioned at only the Farmers and Hughesville tobacco
warehouses, both located in the Charles County town of Hughesville. Last year, during a
seven-day sales period, tobacco buyers paid a total of $3.5 million (or $148.02 per
hundredweight) for a total of 2.3 million pounds of tobacco.
Effective Jan. 30, 2004, 780 tobacco
farmers representing 7.3 million eligible pounds of tobacco have signed up to participate
in the Maryland Tobacco Buyout Program. These totals represent 76 percent of eligible
farmers and 89 percent of eligible tobacco.
