LONG DRY SPELL INTERFERES WITH CURING IN KENTUCKY

 

A scene from the tobacco-marketing past: Burley piles await sale on an unrecorded auction floor in Kentucky years ago. File photo provided by the burley growers association .

Burley quality slid precipitously in Kentucky late in the season, thanks to poor curing conditions. “We went from expecting a super crop early in the season to having one that is not real good now,” says Joe Cain, the executive director of the new Kentucky Burley & Dark Tobacco Producers Association (KBDTPA). Cain isn’t ready to estimate the volume that will be produced, but it will be lower than original expectations.   The quality of 2022 burley has been a big problem. Very low humidity has interfered with the curing of this crop. Intense drought since late September has made it difficult to get leaf in case…Not unexpectedly, this has lead to strong buyer interest in the top quality leaf that is available. Contract prices of as high as $2.35 have been reported. At the auctions in Springfield, Ky., a few bids of $2.15 have been reported…It is not clear how much burley is left to sell now. Some contract stations are still open, and the warehouse in Springfield might hold more sales if needed in the New Year. There have been three sales there to date.   There is reason for some optimism about the 2023 burley market, says Cain: “It appears that the companies are going to need more U.S. leaf.”   The last auction of flue-cured at Old Belt Tobacco Sales in Rural Hall, N.C., took place the week before Thanksgiving. “It was a good year for what tobacco we had,” says Dennis White, owner of Old Belt. “I saw some third quality tobacco sell for second quality price on auction. We didn’t get much first quality leaf—the contract stations took it all.” Generally, B2s sold for up to $1.95 on auction while good cutters sold for around $1.80. “Everyone was satisfied with the price." He doesn’t have an exact figure for the volume sold at his warehouse but says it was in the same range as last season. There would have been more but a hard freeze in November killed a lot of the remaining tobacco in the Piedmont and significantly reduced the volume brought to market late in the season. “It turned much of the leaf black,” White says. This was a very late crop in the Carolina Piedmont.   When the Chinese arrived: It was abundantly clear that orders from China appeared on the Old Belt market this season. “The last three weeks (of our auction), we noticed that the type of leaf that Chinese buyers like began bringing $2.10 or $2.15 a pound." It made for a strong finish for the market but White wishes Chinese buying would have started sooner. “Chinese orders came in too late for all the Chinese style leaf we had to get sold,” he says. “I still have some leaf of that style at my warehouse.”   There’s no doubt in White’s mind that independent auctions are here to stay for tobacco growers. “They serve a purpose. Farmers need a market to take rejections and crop failures and to get crop insurance. Where else are they going to get that?”    The first annual meeting of KBDTPA will take place January 19 at the Holiday Inn University Plaza and Conference Center in Bowling Green, Ky. The program starts at 9:30 Central Time. There is no charge to attend the meeting. There will be a luncheon for which there is no charge. But you must register to reserve a place at the lunch. Send an email to Executive Director Joe Cain at KYTobacco Growers@outlook.com to register.    Another major farmer meeting will take place in February. The Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina will hold its 2023 annual meeting at 10 a.m. Friday, February 3, in conjunction with the Southern Farm Show. The venue will be the Holshouser Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. It will end with lunch around 12. Registration not required.   The Southern Farm Show will take place February 1 through February 3 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, starting at 9 a.m. each day. Admission is free. A list of tobacco-related exhibitors will appear in TFN in January.   REPORT FROM OVERSEAS   BRAZIL: The harvest season was officially kicked off on December 6 with a festival in Rio Grande do Sul, the leading tobacco state in the country. Harvesting has actually been going on for several weeks and normally lasts until February.   ZIMBABWE: An electricity crisis caused by low water levels in the Zambezi River threatens the cure of Zimbabwe’s flue-cured crop. "There is an immediate requirement for tobacco farmers to access concessionary-priced diesel fuel for generator use,” said the Zimbabwe Tobacco Association in a letter dated December 5. “US$300 million of irrigated tobacco is reportedly under threat.” Irrigated flue-cured farms in Zimbabwe need 24 hours of continuous power per day. “Currently, farms are getting on average seven hours of power per day...which is 30 percent of the requirements from the utility.” REFLECTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF BURLEY A few years ago I had the pleasure of writing two books about burley tobacco in the South since John Rolfe first cultivated leaf in Jamestown in the 1600s. They were very similar format: The core of both books are interviews with "old time" burley growers who have grown the crop long enough to have special insights on burley production. In addition, I have provided notes on the historical events associated with burley.  One, The Bluegrass & Beyond, concentrates on Kentucky and Ohio and their place in tobacco history. The other, A History of Burley Tobacco in East Tennessee & Western North Carolina, centers on developments in those two states. Both include a reflection on the history of tobacco auctions by my friend and co-author Billy Yeargin. I have enjoyed sharing these books with my many friends in tobacco. Now, I find I have a few extra copies of both and can sell them to anyone who asks. The number is limited but I think I have enough for everybody. If we don't, I will print some more. If you would like one, send $20, plus $10 shipping and handling to 903--9 Shellbrook Ct., Raleigh NC 27609. Be sure to specify which book--Bluegrass & Beyond or A History of Burley Tobacco in ET/WNC. Questions? Call me at 984 810 9004 or email me at chrisbickers@ gmail. com.

A LAST LOOK AT THE 2022 AMERICAN TOBACCO CROP And a report on Brazil's outlook for 2023

 

A worker loads burley stalks on a truck at an East Tennessee farm as the season comes to an end. File photo by Christopher Bickers. USDA'S FINAL WORD ON THE U.S. CROP: In its last estimate of tobacco production this year, USDA projected flue-cured production as down a little from 2021 (9.1%), while burley was projected down a lot (22%). Among the smaller types, fire-cured and Pennsylvania seedleaf were up 2% and 9.5% respectively, while dark air-cured and Southern Maryland (which is grown almost exclusively in Pennsylvania) were down 2.1% and 42%. Particulars follow, shown by type with percentage change from a year ago:  Flue-cured—284.7 million pounds, down 9.1%; Burley—65.6 million pounds, down 22%; Fire-cured--50.2 million pounds, up 2.1%; Dark air-cured—24.6 million pounds, down 2.1%; PA seedleaf —9.2 million pounds, up 9.5%; Southern Maryland—440,000 pounds, down 42%. (Source: USDA Crop Production Report, Oct. 2022) TENNESSEE: The last of the 2022 tobacco crop has been in the barn for several weeks, says Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. “Most of the burley has been stripped, and the dark crop is not far behind”...Burley may have dodged a bullet in the barn: It was very dry when curing began, and there was fear that a quick cure would occur. This certainly did happen in some areas of the tobacco belt, but other areas seemed to have recovered from some of those issues. Burley yield seemed to be slightly better than average for growers who had access to the rains that did fall, says Richmond. For those who didn’t, the yield was average or slightly below…Richmond doesn’t have an estimate of total burley production in Tennessee yet, but he finds the most recent USDA projection of 4.5 million pounds credible...Connecticut in Tennessee? Some, though not all, of the Connecticut broadleaf grown in Tennessee this season did quite well, with good yield and a really good price. But is there a future for Connecticut broadleaf in the Volunteer State? It’s hard to tell. Richmond does not expect much of an increase in 2023. “It is a high-risk, high-reward crop, requiring intense management,” he says. “If you have a contract for one of the dark types (as many Central and Northwestern Tennessee growers did this year) you probably would rather grow dark.” But Richmond says a few farmers in East Tennessee, where dark has not traditionally been grown, are considering planting the Connecticut type in 2023. BRAZIL: More acreage in 2023--but not much more: A projected increase in plantings for the 2023 market in southern Brazil appears to have taken place. But it is not fencerow to fencerow--the volume projected from these plantings is about 8% more than in 2022, somewhat than had been expected. Farmers in southern Brazil (where almost all of the country’s flue-cured and burley is produced) have planted enough to harvest 604.73 million kg in 2023—7.95% more than in 2022, reports AFUBRA, Brazil’s tobacco growers association. AFUBRA President Benicio Albano Werner said the increase in production area was no surprise. “The past crop was, for a large part of [our] tobacco growers, very profitable,” he said. “This encouraged some producers to increase their planted area”...The increase would not in fact make up for the reduction of the season before. Production dropped nearly 11% in 2022 compared to 2021. According to AFUBRA, the volume in southern Brazil was only 560.18 million kgs in 2022, 10.9% less than in 2021 (Source:  Kohltrade Tobacco Trading).  UPDATE How to claim Stabilization Settlement funds The deadline is fast approaching: Current and former tobacco growers should complete a Proof of Claim Form for funds available from the Tobacco Stabilization Lawsuit Settlement. The form is a means of claiming any funds due FC Membership Owners as a result of their sales to Stabilization during 1967 through 1973 and remaining No Net Cost Funds paid by growers on each pound marketed from 1982 through 2004. What is the FC Membership Number? It is a number that all growers were required to have in order to participate in the Stabilization-operated Price Support Program. If you don’t have a number, help is available: The firm conducting the settlement disbursement has all the records of Stabilization and can link grower names and address changes through the years to their FC Membership Numbers and any refunds that are due. Funds due to a FC Membership Number can only be calculated after Proof of Claim forms are submitted and approved.  Claim forms must be received at the address in California by December 12. Submitting a Proof of Claim Form for the FC Membership Number of deceased growers must be made by the authorized legal representative (Administrator) of the legal owner and requires legal documentation of inheritance to include Wills, Letters of Administration or Letters of Testamentary, and an open estate in which to deposit the refunds from which to write checks to the appropriate heirs. Those interested in this approach should contact their Probate Court to understand the process of probating an estate. A warning: Notification of deserving individuals has been hampered by inability to obtain current addresses to replace the pre-911 Rural Route addresses on file when the FC Membership was assigned. Those who know others who should have grown tobacco and may not be aware of this settlement should help to share the word.  A copy of the qualified settlement fund (QSF) Procedures, along with additional relevant information, Frequently Asked Questions, and the Proof Of Claim Form can be viewed:https://omniagentsolutions. com/ lewis settle mentclasstrust. An on-line option is available to those who are original owners of the FC Membership Numbers and have their numbers. However, there is no known source of the number if you don't have it. (This article was written by J. Michael Moore, Extension Agronomist-Tobacco, Univ. of Georgia... Email: jmmoore@uga.edu. Note: You can call Moore at 229-392-6424. He asks that you send a text message before you call.)

THE LAST OF THE 2022 CROP MAKES ITS WAY TO THE MARKET

 

Season comes to end: Some of the last of the 2022 flue-cured crop was tied by hand, cured in an old barn and sold at the N.C. State Fair in October, using old-time methods. There was a contest for best looping (see below). Photo courtesy N.C. Department of Agriculture. As best as can be told, all of the 2022 crop that will be harvested has been harvested. Any that might have still been out in November was probably killed by very cold weather in the middle of the month. Here is what Tobacco Farmer Newsletter has learned about the end of the season in the northernmost tobacco-producing states... NORTH CAROLINA -- The flue-cured crop here turned out better than would have been predicted a month or six weeks earlier, says Matt Vann, North Carolina Extension tobacco specialist. “We had above average yield [that was] better than a year ago in most places, and I think it has sold better than last year,” he says. All flue-cured is harvested (or abandoned) now, he says. He thinks most of the small amount left in the field late in the season was killed by frost. But it wasn’t much. “I surveyed County Agents and we don't think there was more than a couple hundred acres worth that was completely lost, though more was damaged to a small degree,” says Vann… What is the major lesson growers should learn from the last two seasons? Irrigate if you can. That was particularly apparent in 2021 and 2022. “Those were two seasons that were critically short on rain, and our tobacco felt it,” says Vann. If you have the water resources for it, irrigate. KENTUCKY--There is still some concern about the quality of late harvested burley, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. “Farmers have been trying to keep it in the barns as long they can,” he says. “We are doing what we can to improve the color. But it has been very cold, and color doesn’t change much in those conditions. There have been a few fronts that went through the Bluegrass lately, but it has been dry most of this month.” The early crop on the other hand has been selling well, getting good quality grades so far, Pearce says. VIRGINIA--Frost in mid October was a big problem for many growers in the Danville area. “Hardly any farmers totally escaped the effects of frost,” says Stephen Barts, Extension agent in Pittsylvania County. “The loss was substantial. But generally, our yield is average or slightly below, our quality is better than in 2021 and our tobacco has sold well so far. But the profit isn’t good because of the high cost of production. When we have such a narrow profit margin after average yield and at least average quality, there is discouragement”…Pittsylvania, the major tobacco-producing county in the Southside, now produces almost entirely flue-cured. Burley was a factor for many years but Barts says it’s almost all gone now. But there is a little dark Virginia and Connecticut broadleaf grown in the county. BLACK PATCH--This season will be remembered in the Black Patch for the very dry fall, says Andy Bailey, Kentucky-Tennessee Extension dark specialist. “We were 6.5 inches below normal rainfall in September and October.  Tobacco harvested from mid September on looks pretty rough. It went into the barn so dry that the cure was really affected.” But tobacco cured earlier looks pretty good. “I have heard of prices of $2.20 to $2.27 for burley.” The Black Patch had some problems with early frost too but not much was still in the field when it set in. “Some dark fire-cured had been cut and was waiting to go into the barn. This was harder to cure. The midribs were full of moisture.”…Some burley is grown in this area and it took a beating from the weather this season. “There is real concern about the usability of much of our burley,” says Bailey…On the other hand, the Connecticut broadleaf in western Kentucky and central Tennessee turned out well again this year. In other tobacco news: A dynasty in tobacco tying? The Maple Hill Loopers won the Tobacco Looping Contest at N.C. State Fair in October. The team, made up of Ken Jones and his wife Sandy of Maple Hill and Michael Sunday of Hendersonville, has won the contest eight times. Once the hands were tied and cured (see photo), they were sold in a mock auction. REPORT FROM OVERSEAS ZIMBABWE Tobacco sales here ended on October 21, and the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB) reported both volume and value were up from the previous year. The value, according to TIMB, was US$650 million, up 10.3 percent from the US$589 million value of last year’s crop. The increase in value was generated almost entirely by higher prices since the volume was up only up 0.765 percent. A total of 212.7 million kilograms of tobacco were sold this season, up from [approximately] 211.1 million kilograms in 2021, said TIMB…The Zimbabweans have vast ambitions for expansion in the next three years. “The increase in tobacco sold [this season], as well as the value, is evidence of our efforts as an industry to establish a US$5 billion industry by 2025,” said TIMB.

THE END OF THE GROWING SEASON NEARS

 

Once again, the burley of Western N.C., like this field in Buncombe County, has some of the last tobacco of the season to be harvested. Some hadn't made it to the barn at the beginning of this week. File photo by Christopher Bickers.

A report on field conditions BURLEY, DARK AND WRAPPER KENTUCKY--Harvest in Kentucky was completed several weeks ago, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. Most is still curing but some has been stripped. The early cut portion looks okay, he says, while the middle has a bright color. The late-cut crop is in rough condition. “It was very dry in September and October in much of the burley belt. Our tobacco badly needs humidity in the barn to bring it in and out of order,” Pearce says. His advice: “If you have late -cut burley in the barn, be patient. Let it hang as long as you can. Hopefully, it will come in and out of case multiple times to help even out the color.” Some Kentucky farmers are wetting the floors of their barns to bring in additional moisture. “But as dry as the air has been, it has been difficult to keep the moisture in the barn long enough to produce a color change in the leaf”…A good statewide burley yield seems well within reach, says Pearce. But he doesn’t have an estimate yet. TENNESSEE--The October drought was also intense in north central Tennessee. As a result, Connecticut broadleaf grower Jason Evitts of Hartsville, Tn., wasn’t able to finish stripping until last week. That was at least a month later than he had planned. But the crop seemed to have turned out reasonably well, he says. “We wanted to get a 2,000-pound yield but it looks more like 1,900.” The yield was helped by the fact that Evitts is able to irrigate. “If we hadn’t had irrigation, drought would have been a much bigger issue.” Evitts grew three acres of the Connecticut type this year along with two acres of dark air-cured. But for the first time in 100 years, no burley was grown on the farm. “The wrapper types give me a better chance to make a profit,” he says. NORTH CAROLINA: This state is substantially the only burley production area with unharvested acres. NASS estimated that through October 30, 12 percent of the state's burley remained to be cut. Quality is becoming a concern as moisture is needed to bring housed tobacco into case. FLUE-CURED EASTERN N.C.--The volume brought to sale at auction has been high all season, and the buyers are still buying, says Kenneth Kelly, owner of Horizon warehouse in Wilson. "The price has gone up and down," he says. "Lugs and primings have sold well, and pickings have sold very well. But better quality leaf could have sold better." When will it end? Kelly doesn’t have a set date for his last auction, but they will continue selling at Horizon for at least two weeks after the primary markets close...This market may well be remembered for the disruption caused by export buyers coming in late with vague requirements for leaf quality. “I hope the industry will review this situation over the winter,” Kelly says. WESTERN N.C.--Lugs and cutters produced in this area were better quality than expected, says Dennis White, owner of Old Belt Tobacco Sales, a warehouse in Rural Hall near Winston-Salem. “Lugs have sold for around $1.35 a pound, cutters for $1.65 to $1.70, and good sound leaf brought from $2.05 to $2.10,” he says…But the weather was not good in the Piedmont. “It was dry, then it was wet, then it was hot…The crop was very late.” By the way, there was still some leaf in the field in the Piedmont as late as last week, White says.   In other tobacco news: Burley production outside the U.S. was lower for the 2022 crop, while prices for it were much higher, says Will Snell, Kentucky Extension ag economist. In August, it was reported that burley grower prices this past season were up 33 percent in Argentina, up 36 percent in Malawi and up 73 percent in Brazil. How much burley does the industry want? In its October U.S. crop report, USDA estimated the current American burley crop at nearly 66 million pounds. “Based on current inventory levels and forecast leaf exports and domestic needs, the industry would likely prefer a U.S. burley crop in the 75 to 80 million pound level,” says Snell. A tip for farmers seeking compensation as part of the flue-cured cooperative settlement: You don’t need the FC membership number to document membership in the coop, says the Georgia Farm Bureau. “This information is included in the files provided to the attorneys and the firm charged with settling their claims,” the organization said in a statement. A possible advantage of growing Connecticut broadleaf: Its short season might allow for some labor efficiency if harvest can be completed before burley or dark harvest begins, say Andy Bailey and Bob Pearce of the Kentucky Extension Service.

A FLUE-CURED AUCTION IN RURAL HALL, NC.

A MID-NOVEMBER FINISH FOR FLUE AUCTIONS?

There are several more weeks to go for flue-cured auctions, says Tommy Faulkner, auction manager for the American Tobacco Exchange warehouse in Wilson, N.C. "I could see us holding sales until mid November or maybe later," he says. He says the volume at sales at his warehouse continues to be good. "Volume is certainly not tailing off at this point." Prices are generally good and buyers seem pleased with the quality. 

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD 

FLUE-CURED 

North Carolina--There is still a little leaf left out in the field, though not as much as was feared a month or more ago, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "But it's still more than we would like to see on the fourteenth of October." There was some concern earlier that frost might affect this crop, but that seems unlikely now, at least not on a large scale on a large scale. "So much has been harvested that there is not a lot left to be damaged," he says...Vann thinks North Carolinians are looking at average or better yields statewide this year. The Old Belt may do a little better, he says. "It had dry weather and heat like the East, but I believe the impacts were less severe, partly because the crop was planted a little later and could take advantage of timely rain"...Good news: Tropical Storm Ian did little damage to the N.C. crop when it passed through on October 6, Vann says. 

Virginia--Growers are close to finishing flue-cured harvest. "There might be five percent left in the field, if that much," says David Reed, Virginia Extension tobacco specialist. "This appears to be a good crop, with a better yield than expected and reasonably good quality. But we had significant losses to diseases, particularly black shank"...Growers will be looking anywhere for ways to reduce cost of production. "The price has just not kept up," Reed says. South Carolina, Georgia and Florida have finished harvest. 

BURLEY AND DARK 

Kentucky--Most of the tobacco in the state--about 96 percent--has been cut, according to NASS, and 20 percent is stripped. Kentucky experienced well below normal temperatures and much below normal rainfall over the past week. Tennessee--91 percent of the state's tobacco has been cut. North Carolina--70 percent of the burley crop has been harvested. 

Tip for preparing air-cured for market: If you are adding moisture to burley or dark air-cured tobacco to bring it into case, make sure you avoid pockets of excessive moisture and prevent wet spots in bales, say Extension tobacco specialists Mitchell Richmond (Tennessee) and Andy Bailey and Bob Pearce (Kentucky). In addition, tobacco bales should be delivered as soon as possible to avoid long periods of storage on the farm, they say. 

SPECIAL REPORT 

WILL BUYERS HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THIS YEAR'S BURLEY CROP?

For the first time in recent history, U.S. and global burley supply availability among manufacturers is (or at least should be) a concern for the 2022 marketing season and looking forward into 2023, says Will Snell, Kentucky Extension agricultural economist. 

Certainly, U.S. burley faces a multitude of longer-term issues such as regulatory, labor, and infrastructure challenges, along with an escalating reduction in domestic premium cigarette sales at the expense of generics and alternative tobacco products which use little or zero U.S. burley. Collectively these issues could further reduce the need for U.S. burley in the coming years. 

But for the 2022 U.S. burley market, Snell calculates that, based on buyer purchase shares from recent years and assuming the crop is graded as 50 percent #1 and 50 percent as #2, an average price for the 2022 crop in the neighborhood of $2.25 to $2.30 per pound might be generated. This would compare to the average price of $2.10 paid for the 2021 crop. 

But an average price increase in this range--seven to 10 percent--would not offset the projected 15 to 20 percent increase in production costs. “That means that yields would have to be above average to sustain profit levels from last year," he says. That's the good news. 

“Unfortunately, it will be the most expensive crop they have ever produced,” Snell says. “While the current supply/demand balance for U.S. burley is favorable for growers, the question remains if the market will boost prices even higher for the 2022 crop and for the 2023 marketing season to improve future U.S. burley supply security among a declining and discouraged grower base.” 

In other tobacco news: 

The long-awaited formation of the KY Burley & Dark Tobacco Producers Association has been achieved, and Joe Cain, formerly commodity director of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, has been named executive director. Headquarters is 201 North Doctor St., Springfield, KY 40069, and the telephone number is (502) 303-3663. Farmer officers are Chairman, Al Pedigo; Vice Chairman, Darrell Varner; Secretary, Penny Greathouse, and Treasurer, Jason Wade...If you would like to be on the Association contact list, please send your contact information (including phone and email address) to Cain at KYTobaccoGrowers@outlook.com. 

DATES TO REMEMBER 

Networking event for tobacco growers: Beginning at 5:30, October 21 in the Hospitality Tent at the North Carolina State Fair, immediately after the mock leaf auction. Beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Reservations--https://forms.office. com/r/ Z71Tu WU X6U. 

A Celebration of Tobacco Extension in North Carolina, starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 29. It will start with a social hour at 4 p.m. followed by a pig pickin' at 5 p.m. at the Tobacco Farm Life Museum of Kenly, N.C., 709 Church Street, and honor retired members of the N.C. Extension Service tobacco team. Tickets are $15. You can order at this address--https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nc-state-extension-retired-tobacco-specialists-celebration-tickets-416678465507. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: I have changed my phone number. You can reach me now 984 810 9004. Mailing address remains Bickers Editing Service | 903-9 Shellbrook Ct., Raleigh, NC 27609. 

BURLEY GROWERS WRAP UP A GOOD CROP

 

Burley stalks near Nashville, Tn., have been speared and set upright to wilt in the sun. File photo by Christopher Bickers.

Tennessee--The burley and dark crops were able to recover from the period of limited rainfall earlier this year, says Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. “There was some concern in early July, but I think now it will be a solid crop. But we will have to see how the weather holds out for curing.” There was some black shank throughout the season, then some angular leaf spot started popping up in some areas of dark production late in the season, he says. “I think we can expect overall average to above average yields for burley and dark tobacco in Tennessee.” NASS estimates that 86 percent of the crop has been cut. Most of the Connecticut Broadleaf in Tennessee was harvested prior to the first week of September, which is ideal for this shorter season type. No production estimate is available yet, but Richmond says, ”I have talked with some growers who are happy with their yield and quality this year.” Kentucky--92 percent of the state's tobacco has been cut, says NASS-USDA. Yields appear to be fairly normal since many producers were able to irrigate during the summer months. North Carolina--The small burley crop is projected at 65 percent harvested. In other tobacco news: Note: Two new publications from the Kentucky and Tennessee Extension Tobacco Programs could help you out in 2022. Ordering/Casing Burley and Dark Tobacco – Post-Curing Management Practices, and Barn Management for Curing Connecticut Broadleaf Cigar Wrapper Tobacco. “These are available through the University of Tennessee and University of Kentucky Extension websites,” says Richmond. Prices were up in Brazil: The average price paid to tobacco growers in southern Brazil for the crop recently marketed was up 61.5 percent to (in Brazilian Reales) BRL. That would be 17.02 (US$3.25) per kilogram. Among the three southern states of Brazil—the heart of Brazilian tobacco country—the average price was BRL17.26 ($3.21 US) per kilogram in Rio Grande do Sul, BRL17.19 (US$3.20) per kilogram in Santa Catarina and BRL16.41 (US$3.06) per kilogram in Parana. The Tobacco Farm Life Museum along with the N.C. Extension Service will host a “Celebration of Tobacco Extension in North Carolina” on Saturday, October 29, on the museum grounds. It will start with a social hour at 4 p.m. followed by a pig pickin' at 5 p.m. The guests of honor will be 12 retired members of the Extension Service: Blake Brown, David Shew, Mike Boyette, David Smith, Bill Collins, Sterling Southern, Tom Melton, Earl Wernsman, Gerald Peedin, Doug Worsham. Tickets are $15. Order via email. The address: https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/nc-state-extension-retired-tobacco-specialists-celebration-tickets-416678465507. A networking event for tobacco growers: A reception will be held in the Hospitality Tent the North Carolina State Fair on October 21 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. (right after the mock leaf auction). All tobacco growers and people supporting the industry are invited to attend. Besides networking, the program will include a panel discussion on the future of tobacco. Beer, wine, and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Reserve a place at https://forms.office.com/r/Z71Tu WU X6U. Following is a set of questions with answers about the Lewis Settlement Class action case concerning the value of memberships in the flue-cured cooperative.   Is this for all Farmers/growers? ANSWER: No. This lawsuit is for Flue Cured Tobacco growers who were members of the Flue Cured Tobacco Cooperative. Why was there a lawsuit against the Cooperative? ANSWER: The Cooperative held back funds for certain years which are now being returned to the qualifying grower members. How would a claim qualify for a payment? ANSWER: You, or the person or entity for whom you would be filing the claim for, must have been a member of the Flue Cured Tobacco Cooperative at some point between 1946-2004 to be eligible for payment consideration. An important part of the claims process is identifying your claim as one made by or on behalf of a person or company who marketed flue cured tobacco at some point between 1946 and 2004. This should be done by supplying the requested FC Number for that person or company. If you do not have that number, then you must provide information sufficient to identify, in the sole judgment of the trustees, who that person or company was, which would include the name and all addresses they used during the period they marketed flue cured tobacco. A claim cannot be eligible without adequate proof that the person or company, for whom the claim is made, marketed flue cured tobacco at some point between 1946 and 2004. My family member(s) were a grower member(s) but they are deceased. Can an heir (if there was no will) or beneficiary (if there was a will), file a claim? ANSWER: Please consult your personal attorney in these situations. Only Personal Representatives for the Estate of your family member can file a claim. Certain documents will need to be submitted to prove that the claim is being filed by the Personal Representatives for the Estate. If the Estate for your family member has been closed, it will need to be re-opened by the court which handled the Estate. I am the spouse of a deceased grower member. Would I need to provide information on the Estate? ANSWER: Yes. I have multiple siblings or I am the only child. Would I still need to provide information on the Estate? ANSWER: Yes. What information do I need to provide to submit my claim? ANSWER: Answer all the questions on the claim form and submit the requested documentation supporting the claim which must be received before the Settlement Claim Bar Date. I want to file a claim for more than one grower member. Can I fill out one claim form for more than one member? ANSWER: No. Only one claim form can be submitted for a flue cured member number. There cannot be multiple owners of a flue cured member number. If there are multiple beneficiaries of a member’s estate, that claim is filed by the personal representative for the estate. What documents do I need to prove the claim? ANSWER: Examples are documents that establish the Flue Cured member number, such as, a Flue Cured member card or a stock certificate, documents that establish the mailing addresses of the grower member at the time of membership. If you marketed tobacco from 2000-2004 by direct contracting, documents that establish pounds marketed during any of those years. If your claim is for the 1967-1973 crop years, documents such as certificates of interest from any of those years. The Claims Administrator and the QSF Trustees will determine if the submitted documentation adequately supports the claim. I have no documents. Will completing the form be enough to prove my claim? ANSWER: Generally, without some documentary support, claims will not be approved. However, providing the Flue Cured member number and the mailing address of the grower member at the time of membership may assist the claims administrator in determining if there are documents that support your claim. Claims without documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Can you fill out the claim form for me? ANSWER: No. Neither the Claims Administrator nor the QSF Trustee can complete the claim form for you. Can you provide me with information or documents about my membership or pounds of tobacco grown to help fill out the claim form? ANSWER: No. You should complete the information requested in the Claim Form to the best of your ability and provide copies of any documentation that you have to support your claim. However, even if you do not have documentation, you may still submit your claim, and it is possible that you may still be able to participate in the settlement based on the Cooperative’s records. The claims administrator will review those records to determine if there is data to support your claim. What is the deadline for submitting a claim form and documentation? ANSWER: All claims and supporting documentation must be received by the claims administrator no later than 5 p.m. EDT on December 12, 2022. How much money is this about? ANSWER: See the confirmation order found here and the Qualified Settlement Fund Claims and Distribution Procedures found here for the amount of the settlement and For how claims will be determined. How soon may the claim be paid? ANSWER: All claims must be reviewed before any single claim is approved and paid. The Court has allowed 120 days to submit all claims; and 120 days for the QSF Trustee to review each claim. If the QSF Trustee has objections to the claim, the QSF Trustee has 90 days to informally resolve any objection to the claim before objections are filed with the court. What if I need to amend my claim before the claim deadline? ANSWER: Please resubmit your claim if you need to add additional information or documentation.  Will I have the opportunity to amend my claim form or submit additional documentation if the QSF Trustee determines that my claim is not valid? ANSWER: Yes. If the QSF Trustee asserts an objection to your claim, you will receive written notification with the reason that your claim was rejected. At that point, you may be requested to submit additional information by a specified deadline. If you submit the requested information and the QSF Trustees still objects to your claim, the QSF Trustee will file a written objection to your claim and submit it for judicial resolution.