Tobacco Farmers Optimistic

Source from:  By Eddie Fitzgerald Daily Times Staff Writer 03/06/2006

Farmers will plant much more tobacco in Wilson County this season than in some previous years. Norman Harrell, Wilson County Agriculture Extension agent, said farmers are more optimistic about this tobacco season than he has seen in a long time because tobacco companies are contracting with farmers to grow more tobacco. The increase in tobacco acreage is in large part the result of the tobacco buyout and the end of the tobacco program. Prices for tobacco were reduced last year, and that probably opened more markets for U.S. flue-cured tobacco, Harrell said. "We are also seeing a trend of some farmers getting out of tobacco production," he said. "So we are seeing a real increase in production (from the farmers staying in the business) with Wilson as kind of the hub." Production will also be up this season in neighboring counties, Harrell said. "It is real interesting for Wilson County to have this type of increase in production," Harrell said. Last year the county saw about a 10 percent increase in tobacco production. An increase of about 30 percent this year shows farmers are more optimistic than they have been in years, Harrell said. "They are looking forward to — and are maybe excited about — this season's crop," he said. Wilson County has historically been about the fifth largest tobacco-producing county in the region, but with the level of this year's increased production it could move up to the top three tobacco-producing counties, Harrell said. Last year three areas farmers also experimented with growing burley tobacco. About 10 acres were planted, producing good yields and selling well. This year burley production in the county will be up to about 20 acres, Harrell said. "The guys who grew it did OK with it," he said. "But it is definitely different handling burley." Byran Lamm, who farms in the western part of the county, said this year his tobacco acreage is up about 20 percent. "I'm pretty optimistic about tobacco," he said while driving to his greenhouses to check on his tobaccco seedlings for 80 acres of tobacco. "I don't know how that will hold up. The prices for those crops are still low. The markets are flooded." It will probably be mid-April before Lamm starts transplanting the tobacco seedlings to his fields. He seeded his greenhouse Feb. 18, he said. "A lot of people are taking advantage of this warm weather right now to work in their fields and get them ready for the season," Lamm said. This is the first time since 1998 Lamm will be able plant as much tobacco as he is planning. "They (the contracting companies) gave us some increases," he said. "I think everybody's acreage is up pretty good." Enditem