MODERN TOBACCO GROW. Dear Sir,

Transcription

1 MODERN TOBACCO GROW Dear Sir, Mid July 2 Welcome to MODERN TOBACCO GROWER, an online newsletter covering the tobacco industry producersʹ side. If this is the first issue you have received, please subscribe by sending an m Chrisbickers@gmail.com. Write ʺSubscribeʺ and include what tobacco type you grow (if any) and address. Or call me at 919/ Opinions on what you have read here? Send them to the sam addresses. We will be back in about a month or whenever developments suggest. Till then, good field. And thanks once again to our sponsor, Fair Products Inc. Chris Bickers, Editor An MTG MID July Update-The Deep South flue-cured could still reco How bad is the crop in Georgia? Earlier this month, USDA projected a state yield of 1,700 pound lowest average yield since That would translate into production of 23.8 million pounds of t 29% less than last year. But J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist, said the outlo bleak. ʺIf we could get favorable weather from here on, we could still make a good crop,ʺ he said in with Modern Tobacco Grower on the North Carolina Tobacco Tour on July 21. ʺWe have some goo tobacco. It is definitely a little light. We may not exceed a ton per acre on whatʹs left. But we shou than 1,700 pounds.ʺ Georgians experienced 15 inches of rain at transplanting that delayed setting a week to 10 da Then everything that happened seemed to make the crop later and later. ʺWe have had a constant wetting of the soil, then some drying, then wetting again,ʺ he said. ʺ have a big beautiful root system.ʺ Harvest had barely gotten under way by this week and was about a month behind schedule. ʺ advising farmers to wait if they have to and let their tobacco get fully mature. Let it build up all t

2 can.ʺ Perhaps 30% of Georgia tobacco showed symptoms of tomato spotted wilt, and there were co losses. There were also outbreaks of target spot and white mold. Out of about 15,000 planted acres, about 13,000 acres appeared headed for harvest. MTG interviewed several farmers on the NC Tour and at the US Tobacco Forum in Myrtle Be 17. Here is what they had to say about the progress of the crop in their area: Tennessee--Bill Corbin, a burley and dark grower from Springfield TN, said, ʺWe had a lot of r May. That kept us out of the field for about 10 days at the time we wanted to plant our early toba doublecrop some of our dark tobacco barns, so we need some of the dark to come off early. After worked our fields a little too heavy. The part set out from about May 10 to May 20 has been reall But it is starting to catch up now. The second phase of setting, from May 20 to June 5, that crop is We had some tobacco that we set right up to the fifth of July. That is late for us. That segment is g and down.ʺ George Marks, a burley and dark grower of Clarksville TN, said, ʺWe have had had weather. The dark types are doing better than the burley. They can stand hot weather better. But types have the potential to come out average.ʺ Kentucky-- Roger Quarles, a burley grower in Georgetown KY, said, ʺWe expect a short crop. extensive rainfall issues so far this year. The crop has grown very quickly. It will be topped at few normal. If we get any hot weather from now on, we wonʹt have the root system we would need. likely, but there is a possibility of that thin leaf will be more appealing to buyers.ʺ South Carolina--Johnny Shelley, a flue-cured grower in Nichols SC, said, ʺWe had a good setti weeks after we finished, we had nine inches of rain. A good bit of our tobacco got damaged. We working with it ever since. Some still shows damage, but we have good tobacco too. We started weeks ago. We have put in 40 barns, and it is curing up good. It is a good quality tobacco. But as is going to be short because of early water damage.ʺ North Carolina--Donnie Blizzard, a flue-cured grower of Snow Hill NC, said he wound up wit difference in growth in his early and later planted leaf. ʺWe planted 300 acres (out of a total of 50 had 4.5 inches of rain. That delayed us two weeks in planting the rest. We now have essentially t that may be easier to manage the rest of the way.ʺ But one problem did arise from all the water. ʺ outbreak of target spot on the younger tobacco after another 1.5 inches of rain fell. I am spraying now. Target spot has not been an issue in the older tobacco.ʺ Blizzard is quite optimistic about th generally been a good growing season because of periods of dry weather. Tobacco needs some d body up.ʺ And about that USDA projection: On July 10, USDA projected US flue-cured production at 467 m down 6% from Area to be harvested was projected at 214,500 acres, 4% below last year. Yie flue-cured was forecast at 2,178 pounds, down 61 pounds from a year ago. Production forecasts states (with change from last season in brackets) was North Carolina, 365 million pounds [down Carolina, 39.8 million pounds [down less than 1%]; Virginia, 38.4 million pounds [down 6%]; and million pounds [down 29%]. The agency wonʹt project production of other types till August.

3 A new processing plant on the way Japan Tobacco International (JTI) announced in July that it will create a new leaf company in the venture with leaf dealers Hail & Cotton of SpringfieldTN and J.E.B. International of Danville VA JTI Leaf Services (JTILS). A new processing plant will be built, probably in the Danville area or in identified location in eastern North Carolina. A word from our sponsor Modern Tobacco Grower is brought to you by: Fair Products Inc., committed to helping you prod tobacco in the world at the best possible profit. You can contact Fair Products Inc. at Phone: 919 / renee@fairproductsinc.com or by mail at PO Box 386, Cary NC The chemicals of Fa include: T-Moxx: Insecticide / Fair 85: Contact Sucker Control / Fair Tac: Contact Sucker Control & Systemic Sucker Control / FST-7 & Prime+ Co-pack: Contact, Systemic & Local Systemic Sucke 30: Systemic Prevention of Growth of Tobacco Suckers / Fair 80 SP: Systemic Prevention of Grow Fair Plus: Systemic Sucker Control / Mature XL: Ripening Agent in the Field / O-TAC: Contact Su Agent. ADVERTISEMENTS Need water-testing guidance? TRITEST CAN HELP Tritest of Raleigh NC is a full-service environmental laboratory. We are certified as a and a waste water laboratory. We can help with any private well analysis, process or to meet the requirements of North Carolina Department of Environment Resources. Let us be your water-testing partner. Our trained group of chemists and personnel are ready to guide you through your testing needs. Call today at us at wsherman@

4

5

6