1998 Marketing Quotas and Price Support Levels for Fire-Cured (Type 21), Fire-Cured (Types 22-23), Maryland (Type 32), Dark Air-Cured (Types 35-36), Virginia Sun-Cured (Type 37), Cigar-Filler (Type 41), Cigar-Filler and Binder (Types 42-44 and 53-55), and Cigar Binder (Types 51-52) Tobaccos

The purpose of this notice is to codify the national marketing quotas and price support levels for the 1998 crops for several kinds of tobacco announced by press release on February 27, 1998. In accordance with the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended (the 1938 Act), the Secretary determined the 1998 marketing quotas to be as follows: fire-cured (type 21), 2.725 million pounds; fire-cured (types 22-23), 44.6 million pounds; Maryland (type 32), 5.45 million pounds; dark air-cured (types 35-36), 11.15 million pounds; Virginia sun-cured (type 37), 165,000 pounds; cigar-filler (type 41), 0.665 million pounds; cigar-filler and binder (types 42-44 and 53-55), 6.63 million pounds; and cigar binder (types 51-52), 1.31 million pounds. Quotas are necessary to adjust the production levels of certain tobaccos to more fully reflect supply and demand conditions, as provided by statute. In accordance with the Agricultural Act of 1949 as amended (the 1949 Act), the Secretary determined the 1998 levels of price support to be as follows (in cents per pound): fire-cured (type 21), 153.6; fire- cured (types 22-23), 168.1; dark air-cured (types 35-36), 145.0; Virginia sun-cured (type 37), 136.0; and cigar-filler and binder (types 42-44 and 53-55), 121.2. Price support for Maryland (type 32), cigar- filler (type 41), and cigar binder (types 51-52) were not announced because producers of each of these kinds of tobacco had disapproved marketing quotas for many years and were not expected to approve quotas in separate referenda held on March 23-26, 1998. This notice also fixes a technical error in a section heading.