Eastern NC Tobacco Farmers 'Cannot Compete' with Larger Operations

Source from:  January 18,2006 BY Chrissy Ingram Freedom ENC  01/19/2006

Problem remains: How do they replace leaf as their major cash crop? Bradley Odum farms about half as much tobacco as he used to on his land in Swansboro. Since leaf profits went south, he's tried everything from cotton and soybeans to wheat and watermelons - but nothing seems to supplement what he's lost. "It's taken the (tobacco) buyout money we've gotten to float the farming," he said, "We're not really getting ahead; we're just holding our own. "We cannot compete, the way I see it, with the bigger outfits. Last year, I tended cabbage and I lost a lot of money. I can't gamble anymore, not like I used to. I don't have enough tobacco to back me up now." Odum's story isn't unusual in eastern North Carolina. Stronger international competition and decreased leaf prices are only part of the problem. The tobacco industry itself has taken a series of hits from anti-smoking groups, new regulations and a class-action lawsuit that resulted in the tobacco buyout program. For Odum and others, the changes aren't new, but the problem remains: How do they replace tobacco as a major cash crop. Odum is among those hoping the Rural Advancement Foundation International can help. It's encouraging area farmers to think of creative ways to replace tobacco crops - and it's helping them find the money to do so. Farmers, along with local farm organizations, just finished applying for grants from the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, organized as part of an initiative to replace lost tobacco income. The group offered cost-share grants of up to $10,000 for individuals and $30,000 for groups to farmers, farm organizations and community groups. "For the individual farmer replacing lost tobacco income, this can make the difference between keeping the farm or having to break it up and sell it," said Jason Roehrig, RAFI program director. Grant winners will be announced in early March. Enditem