Tobacco Farmers Say Economy And Anti-Smoking Sentiment Drying up Profits

Source from:  wbir.com 10/21/2008  10/22/2008

Tobacco is one of Tennessee's top 5 cash crops. But local tobacco farmer, Wayne Brown, says certain factors are starting to chip away at the "cash" in "cash crop". His burley tobacco goes for about $1.65 a pound. But to make a profit these days, he's got to harvest 1,900 pounds per acre. "Fuel prices affect us just like everybody else," he said. Brown's farm is one of the biggest tobacco producers in east Tennessee. He needs enough diesel fuel to cut 150 acres. But fuel isn't his only problem. "The anti-smoking sentiment has really lowered the demand for it," he said. A factor that's cutting into the wallets of big and small tobacco farmers alike. "That's what they're producing for their livelihood and with decreased demand, there's not as much need for it to be grown," said Rob Ellis, Director of UT's Research and Education Center in Greeneville. Ellis experiments with tobacco. His latest project: growing a darker smokeless tobacco that's normally found in Kentucky and middle Tennessee. He hopes it will create a new market for farmers here. Plus, it's more profitable. It goes for about a dollar more per pound than Brown's burley. "Growing that kind of tobacco could increase their bottom line quite a bit," he said. But it's just an experiment and may not work. Brown's still counting on his burley to pay his bills. "It's life, it's my livelihood," he said. His future, literally hanging by a thread. Enditem