A GOOD START IN THE FIELD

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) The outlook for tobacco in Georgia and Florida is favorable. “We are very hopeful of a good crop,” says J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist. “Soil moisture is good, although we could use more rain now.” Transplanting in both states is complete. Continued

TOBACCO TRANSPLANTING IS WELL UNDER WAY

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Planting in Florida and Georgia is progressing well, says J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist. By Saturday, he expects half the crop will probably be planted, perhaps more in Florida. Continued

THE NEW USDA PROSPECTIVE PLANTING REPORT

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) ... announced March 31--projects 15 and 14 percent increases in acreage respectively for fire-cured and dark air-cured types but only two and one percent increases for flue-cured and burley. Tobacco of all types was projected up three percent. Details follow: Continued

TRANSPLANTING TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) There’s been a lot of rain in much of South Georgia in the past week--11 inches in this particular field. Some drowning took place, but dry weather is expected next week, and Georgia Extension tobacco specialist J. Michel Moore expects transplanting to get going in full force. Speeding the process will be the signing (finally) of contracts with dealers such as Alliance One and Universal Leaf and perhaps with the US Tobacco Cooperative. Continued

WHEN WILL THIS CROP BE TRANSPLANTED?

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Seeding has begun in the Deep South, says J. Michael Moore. Florida growers will begin transplanting around March 20. “We had warm weather last week, so plants in Florida may be ready sooner,” says Moore. But most Georgians won’t plant till the first week of April or later in order to help in control of tomato spotted will virus. Continued

LEAF GROWERS ATTEND THE FARM SHOW LOOKIHG FOR DEALS

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) The weather wasn’t always propitious, and the threat of Covid was still around, but exhibitors at the Southern Farm Show on February 2-4 generally found a satisfactory audience. Continued

HOW TO MINIMIZE CARRYOVER DISEASE IN GREENHOUSE TRAYS

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) ... Other tips on burley tray management: Avoid storing sanitized trays in areas where trays may come into contact with soil or debris, or cover trays with plastic or a tarp. Take appropriate steps to protect trays from damage due to the nesting of small rodents and birds. Continued

YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD RESEARCH CENTER DOWN

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) The Agricultural Research Station in Princeton, Ky., well known for its work on dark tobacco types, was for all practical purposes destroyed when it was hit dead center the night of December 11 by the tornado that damaged so much of western Kentucky and Tennessee. "It looks like a bomb has gone off," said Kentucky agriculture commission Ryan Quarles on a visit two days afterward. Continued

THE MYSTERY OF THIS TOBACCO MARKET: HOW MUCH U.S. LEAF WILL CHINA BUY?

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) China is buying U.S. leaf again, making selections from the 2021 crop. It may buy more tobacco in 2022, but this is far from certain, says Blake Brown, N.C. Extension economist. “Relations between the United States and China are likely to remain strained,” Brown said at the recent N.C. State Tobacco Situation and Outlook webinar. Continued

AUCTIONS END FOR FLUE-CURED, BEGIN FOR BURLEY

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Flue-cured auctions ended this past week. The market definitely slid. “The crop just fell off at the end of the season,” says Dennis White, owner of the Old Belt Tobacco Sales auction in Rural Hall near Winston-Salem. Continued

THE LAST OF THE 2021 CROP MAKES IT OUT OF THE FIELD

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) As best I can tell, all U.S. tobacco plus all Canada’s crop (see below) has been harvested since early this month. The last may have been some very late burley in Western North Carolina. But any still in the field on November 4 would have been killed by a frost event that day. Otherwise, almost all of this year’s tobacco seems to have escaped freeze damage. And it seems to have produced better than average quality almost all around. Continued

GROWING SEASON STAGGERS TO AN END--BUT THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT FROST DAMAGE

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) There was a heavy frost in central Kentucky last night, and freezing weather is expected in the area over the next week, says Jerry Rankin, owner of Farmers Tobacco Warehouse in Danville, Ky. But he doesn't think there is any burley left in the field to be damaged. Continued

HARVEST IS NEARLY FINISHED... AND SO FAR, NO KILLING FROSTS

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) ... There was a little flue-cured left at the end of last week, almost all of it in the western Piedmont of western N.C. While it was not a large amount, for some growers it could be the difference between profit and loss for this season. Continued

WILL FALL'S FIRST FROST PUT A CHILL ON THE 2021 LEAF MARKET?

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) A late first frost date would really help Piedmont growers. Frost can reasonably be expected in 15 or 20 days, and that could be a real problem. “This crop is definitely late—some farmers have just made their first pulling,” says Dennis White of the Old Belt Tobacco Sales auction near Winston-Salem. Continued

JUNE RAINS BLAMED FOR SHORT EASTERN-N.C. CROP

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) In eastern North Carolina, the prospects for flue-cured look dismal. There had been hope among the more optimistic observers of U.S. leaf (this writer included) that the yield in the Eastern Belt might somehow rebound from the weather problems of last summer. It didn’t, and as the last of the leaf makes its way to the market, a shortfall has become a certainty. Continued

Tobacco Harvest Going on Almost Everywhere

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Gathering is well under way, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “Most everyone has begun harvesting now, and many are finished doing their first harvest.” As usual, the East is ahead of the Piedmont, but the Piedmont has missed some of the torrential rains that affected development of the Eastern crop. Continued

DEEP SOUTH TOBACCO GETS OFF FAIRLY EASY WHEN HURRICANE ELSA BLOWS THROUGH

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Elsa had been downgraded to tropical storm status by the time it reached Georgia and north Florida. It brought about a half inch of the rain on the west side of the tobacco area and as much as six inches farther east. “Our sandy soils performed very well after the storm except in wet spots that probably shouldn’t have been planted in the first place,” says J. Michael Moore, Extension tobacco specialist. Continued

EARLY JULY TOBACCO HIGHLIGHTS: FIRST HARVEST, FIRST HURRICANE

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Harvest has begun in the Deep South and should be going full blast in two or three weeks, says J. Michael Moore, Extension tobacco specialist for the two states. It's a beautiful crop, he says. "We have had an excellent growing season, and we have the opportunity for good yields." Continued

TOBACCO CROP COMES BACK STRONG

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) Since the rains began, flue-cured in N.C. has come back strong. Now, it might help if the precipitation pulled back. “We have had a tremendous amount of rain in eastern N.C.,” says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “Most farmers there have had up to 10 inches in June, and some have had more than 20 inches. We may be heading for a new record for precipitation in June in this state.” Continued

THE DROUGHT IS BROKEN--FOR NOW

(Tobacco Farmer Newsletter) It finally started raining in North Carolina on Wednesday, with parts of the state getting four inches or more. There are some pockets in the Eastern Belt that had rain that would be classified as excess, as much as eight inches in some cases. Continued