Tobacco Growers Anxious From Drought

Source from:  November 12, 2007 whas11.com LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) 11/14/2007

This year has become one of the most challenging ever for Kentucky tobacco growers. A severe drought stretched from the summer growing season to beyond harvest-when long, bulky tobacco leaves dangled in barns to cure. After the 2004 federal tobacco buyout, free market replaced federal production and price controls. Kentucky burley growers see this selling season as a sign to gauge how tobacco companies will treat them without the fallback comfort of a federal safety net. Southern Kentucky tobacco farmer Al Pedigo says the quality is probably not as good as the tobacco companies would like. He says input costs have gone up and it will be hard to take less for their leaf, even though the quality may be down. Enditem