Weather puts this year's tobacco crop behind

(GoDanRiver) This year was one of the most stressful for tobacco farmers. Rising expenses frustrated growers while the summer drought and heat took its toll on the crop.
Recent rains after a prolonged dry period caused the tobacco to “green up,” so a lot of tobacco isn’t mature (“yellow’) or ready to be harvested. Now, tobacco farmers just hope the year’s first frost will hold off until they can get the crop out of the fields.
Most farmers would like to be done harvesting by mid-October, but some could be up to 30 days behind, said Stephen Barts, Pittsylvania County [Virginia] extension agent. Continued

Photo by Pen Waggener