Season Great for Tobacco Farmers

Source from:  By RICCARDA BURLEY bordermail.com.au 11/21/2005

TOBACCO growers are happy as they enjoy one of the best planting seasons in recent memory. Markwood grower John Muraca is putting in 10 per cent more crop this year and he is keen to make up ground lost to poor seasonal conditions of the past three years. "Weve fallen short on our contracts by about 10 to 15 per cent for the past three years in a row so were really looking to fulfil our commitments this year," he said. "Its a great start to the season, theres excellent subsoil moisture and Id say plantings across the board will be up by about 5 per cent." Rather than it being the start of a bumper season, Mr Muraca believes the conditions are a return to a normal spring and he is planting 14ha of tobacco about 10 days later than usual. "Were a bit like the hay now the rain has held us up but if it stays dry for the next fortnight but retains some humidity, the plants should catch up and be ready to harvest in the first week of February." Mr Muraca is a second generation farmer on "Green Valley", the farm his father bought in 1953. Enditem