Rain Slows Tobacco Planting Slightly, But Nobody's Really Complaining

Source from:  5/10/06 By PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT, C-T Staff Writer  05/12/2006

Person County farmers are "about two-thirds done" with planting a tobacco crop that will likely be double what they grew last year. Person County Extension Director Derek Day said Tuesday that, until this week's rains hit, farmers had been hard at it in the fields. Had the rain held off, Day said, planting would now be about 90 percent complete. "But no one is complaining about the rain," Day added. It is still early in the season, he said, and because of a dry March and April, farmers had gotten fields plowed and ready for planting early this year. The tobacco acreage in the county this year, he said, will probably double 2005 acreage because of increased availability in contracts. And, Day said, contract prices are a little higher per pound than were offered last year. Even so, the price won't cover added fuel, chemical and labor costs, he indicated. But, Day said, anyone who wants to grow tobacco this year can do so, and farmers can plant as much as they want. This is the first full year without federal price supports or the quota system. Growers here have been offered contracts by the U.S. Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers Cooperative, which operates in Timberlake in the old Crown Crafts building, along with Reynolds American, Alliance One, Universal, Phillip Morris and a couple of smaller companies. Burley tobacco acreage will increase in Person County this year as well, Day said, in addition to the amount of flue-cured leaf to be grown. Last year, as a trial, several growers in Person County planted a combined 108 acres. The burley turned out better than expected and was not as difficult to grow as farmers had feared. Curing, the major concern, went well also, and Day said the amount of burley grown this year is expected to be about 230 acres. Burley is being planted now, along with the flue-cured tobacco. Regarding other crops, Day said farmers had planted about 95 percent of the corn they expect to grow and were just beginning to plant soybeans. The acreage on both corn and beans will be about the same as last year, he said. Overall, Day observed, 2006 has so far been a good farming year. "It's been a fairly easy greenhouse year," he said, "and we're thankful. Since it was so dry [earlier in the spring] the land was fixed early on. Up to this point, it's been a fairly easy year - and that scares me," he added wryly. Enditem