GOOD START IN EASTERN NC BODES WELL FOR U.S. CROP

 

All eyes on the East: A news cameraman films transplanting in the Eastern Belt of N.C. in this file photo by Christopher Bickers. This year's crop in the East has gotten off to a fine start. The flue-cured crop in the N.C. Eastern Belt is, to Matthew Vann’s eyes, as good at this point in the season as it has been in all his years in North Carolina. “I hope I am not jinxing things, but the stands and uniformity are the best I can remember,” says Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “Despite a couple of cold spells and dry spells in the spring, our tobacco is looking good across the board.” Some areas got as much as four inches of rain last week, but the soil was dry enough that it wasn’t a major problem. “But we still have some dry pockets,” he says. “For example, places in Johnston County and Edgecombe County could still use a good drink.”   All in by June 1? Vann expects 100 percent of the N.C. flue-cured crop will be in the ground by Wednesday and nearly all the other types as well. “A little cigar tobacco remains to be planted and some burley in the mountains,” he says. “But we are substantially finished with the planting phase of this crop.” Next up in the East: Layby, he adds.   One reason for the good start was a very good plant supply in N.C. Earlier, that wasn’t predicted because of a slow start in plantbeds, says Vann. “We were afraid there might be shortages,  but as it turned out, we have plants left over now.” A factor that helped: Very little replanting was needed.   The crop in South Carolina is off to a good start. Transplanting was finished a few weeks ago. “We have good stands and our tobacco is looking good,” says William Hardee, S.C. Extension tobacco specialist. As of May 26, the crop needed rain. Other than that, the only problem so far has been a little tomato spotted wilt virus. “But it is not too bad,” says Hardee. The transplant production season had gone well and plenty of plants were available. Farmers seemed to have planted all the acreage they intended, but those intentions were less than last year because of reductions in contracts   In Kentucky, burley transplanting is proceeding at a good pace, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. “We may be a bit behind our long-term average through June 1 but there is no need for concern.” He estimated that roughly 50 percent of the state’s burley crop or perhaps more had been transplanted by last Friday.  Transplanting was slowed in part by the conditions in the greenhouse. “Cool temperatures beginning of May and late April lead to a slow start,” he says. “The field conditions were such that we could have planted a little sooner than we did but the plants weren’t ready.” About half the dark tobacco in western Kentucky and Tennessee had been transplanted by May 27. “That includes all of the early dark fire-cured tobacco that is grown so farmers can double crop their barns,” says Andy Bailey, Kentucky-Tennessee Extension dark specialist. “The late crop is still being planted.”  Over the past three weeks up till Memorial Day, farmers here had two weeks of hot and dry weather, then a week with good rain. Problems? There is a little Pythium in the floatbeds, and it has caused some loss. But plant production went well and farmers have enough plants to plant their fields. “But if for some reason there was a lot of replanting, we might run short,” says Bailey.  Dark contracts are up 15 to 20 percent from two years ago, putting perhaps a little pressure on the plant production system. The rush to wrapper production is receding: Some of the appeal of cigar wrapper types for Black Patch farmers seems to be dwindling, at least this year. As reported in TFN’s May I issue, the abundance of dark air-cured and dark fire-cured contracts has suppressed wrapper plantings, since the dark types are generally considered by farmers to be better prospects for profit. What one dealer expects for 2022: In its first projection of U.S. production since the growing season began, Universal Leaf estimated American flue-cured volume at 282.2 million pounds, six percent less than 2021. It estimated American burley at 81.5 million pounds, up 32 percent from its estimate for 2021. Our major competitor—Brazil--was projected by Universal at 1.1 billion pounds for flue-cured, down 12 percent from 2021, and 103.6 million pounds for burley, down six percent. (Source: World Leaf Production May 2022, Universal Corp. Estimates as of May 25).   Don’t forget: You must file a report of planted acreage with your crop insurance agent by the acreage reporting date, which for the following types is July 15: Burley, cigar binder, cigar filler, cigar wrapper, dark air cured, fire cured, and Southern Maryland.   On the move: Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company will move from Oxford, N.C. to Tobaccoville, N.C., as part of parent company Reynolds American’s strategy to “reduc[e] its manufacturing footprint.” Also moving will be Santa Fe’s sister companies American Snuff Company (formerly Conwood), from Winston-Salem to Tobaccoville, N.C., and ASC’s Traditional Oral operations from Memphis, Tn., to Clarksville, Tn.   Planting progress through May 22, according to USDA: Flue-cured--VA, 73%. NC, 87%. SC, 93%. GA/FL, completed. Burley—KY, 30%. NC, 12% VA, 51%. Dark—VA, 55%. Source: Crop and Progress Report, NASS