Tobacco Harvest Lags

Source from:  sentinelnews.com 10/20/2006

The tobacco crop is still slow in coming into the barn as rains continue to delay cutting and housing, while a shortage of labor continues to plague farmers across the state, according to the Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service. As of Sunday, Oct. 15, 8 percent of the burley tobacco crop was reported stripped, behind 12 percent for the previous year and 13 percent for the average. Wet weather has also slowed the corn harvest this year. Farmers' harvested acreage was reported at 82 percent complete, behind 87 percent for the previous year and 86 percent for the average. Seventy-eight percent of soybeans were matured, behind 79 percent for the previous year and 92 percent for the average. Winter wheat seeding was getting back on track this week. As of Sunday, Oct. 15, 35 percent of winter wheat had been planted, behind the previous year's 46 percent but ahead of the five-year average of 29 percent. Farmers across the state are reporting good to excellent yields so far as timely rains have kept moisture levels at adequate to surplus levels most of the growing season. The Kentucky corn production forecast was at 152.4 million bushels; the soybean forecast was at 62.6 million bushels. Burley tobacco production by Kentucky farmers was forecast at 153.3 million pounds. That would be a 7 percent increase from the 2005 crop. Higher yields are expected to compensate for lower acreage in making the 2006 crop bigger than last year's. Enditem