Bumper Tobacco Crop Expected

Source from:  By Eric Bunnell Times-Journal Staff TILLSONBURG, Ont. 08/15/2005

But this summer's periods of near drought have meant irrigation - and that drives up the cost of production Hot, dry weather this summer means the prospect of a bumper crop for Ontario flue-cured tobacco producers. "It certainly looks like a bumper crop," Linda Lietaer, a spokeswoman for the Ontario Flue-cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board, said this week. But that's not because producers haven't worked hard at it. Though tobacco is a dry weather crop, this summer's periods of near drought have meant irrigation -- and that drives up the cost of production, Lietaer said. "It adds to the cost significantly, as you can well appreciate." And because tobacco is a supply-managed crop, producers can't just sell more than they are allowed to grow to recoup that cost. Extra goes into storage for the next crop year. "Different farmers look at (that) in different ways," Lietaer said. "In some cases, it's certainly a valuable asset that's there. On the other hand, he's got significant dollars in that asset waiting for another year to bring it to market." Some producers began harvesting the 2005 crop last week and most of the harvest now is underway. Enditem