Tobacco Farmers Line up for First post-Buyout Sale

Source from:  Elizabethtown (KY) News-Enterprise By ERICA WALSH 11/12/2004

Kenny Straney stood by his pick-up truck waiting for his turn at the scales. His tobacco crop was stacked in bales on a flatbed behind him, bundled and ready to be graded. It was opening day for tobacco sales at Bale Tobacco Marketing Inc., and for Straney, the last time he'd ever bring in a haul. [img border=0 hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" src=http://www.tobaccochina.com/english/picture/news05.jpg] "To tell you the truth, I won't really miss it," he said. As a result of the tobacco buyout, several local farmers are taking the opportunity to leave the business. This year's sales are the last under the quota system. Farming is the only job Straney has ever had. He learned the business from uncles, his grandfather and his father. At points during the family's career they've raised cattle, hogs, grain and of course, tobacco. For a long time, tobacco was a big part of their crop. "I've been growing it ever since I was big enough to strip it," he said. But through the years it's taken a back seat to the grain and honestly, Straney says, sometimes the tobacco gets right in the way. Still, when the tobacco buyout passed, it was the right time for Straney to leave the business. Straney Farms LLC will receive about $50,000 as a result of the buyout because it was growing about 5,000 pounds of tobacco. Kentucky farmers will receive almost $2.4 billion total from the buyout. Other lifelong tobacco farmers, like Estle Harp of Leitchfield, say they'll keep growing tobacco despite the buyout. "I'll raise tobacco next year because I just like to raise it," Harp said. "Let me tell you, I just love stripping." Harp sat on top of his tobacco bales as he waited his turn in line. The start of selling season is time for him to catch up on a little rest, he said, because the hard work is finished for now. Tobacco usually remains for sale at Bale until the middle of February, manager Mickey Pegram said. Bale Tobacco Marketing serves as an agent for Phillip Morris U.S.A. Farmers from across the region are welcome to sell their product through Bale, Pegram said. Pegram said it seemed that many farmers wanted to continue their work, and the familiar faces each year were nice to see. Standing next to the scale, Straney waited to see what his final crop would be worth. Last year, he had a high-quality haul and he expected the same this year. But not even a good crop would bring him back for more tobacco farming, he said. He's ready for the end of an era. "It's time for us to get out," he said. Enditem