Burley tobacco farmers battling drought during crucial leaf curing season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) This autumn has not been kind to tobacco farmers in Kentucky and Tennessee, the top two burley-producing states in the U.S. With buyers beginning to make their purchases Tuesday, the season could turn out to be disappointing financially. Despite rain Tuesday, a dry spell has hurt the quality of leaf stored for curing before going to market. Continued

Meanwhile, in Fiji: Rain prompts early tobacco harvest