Tobacco Farmer Newsletter: WINTER MEETINGS REFLECT LABOR TURMOIL

February II 2024

At the TGANC Annual Meeting in 2023, Graham Boyd (right) introduces speaker BSC Executive Daniel Green. Photo by Christopher Bickers.

KENTUCKY

How to deal with labor in 2024 will be the main topic of discussion when the Kentucky / Tennessee Burley & Dark Tobacco Producer Association and Council for Burley Tobacco will be held in Elizabethtown, Ky., in the Hardin County Cooperative Extension Service Office. "There has been a lot of confusion about various aspects of the program, specifically about the wage classification of workers,” says Joe Cain, the association’s executive secretary. “Growers who rely on the H-2A program for their labor needs are strongly encouraged to attend this important meeting,” Chief among the speakers will be Richard Blaylock, North Carolina District Director for the US Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division. Startime is 10 a.m.

TENNESSEE

The size of tobacco farms in Tennessee is shrinking, according to the recent USDA Census. Extension tobacco specialist Mitchell Richmond noted that tobacco farms average about 53 acres in 2022, the most recent census year. In other Tennessee news:

---Dark acreage will be way down in Tennessee and Kentucky this year. Richmond estimates plantings will be down at least 30 percent in the Volunteer state.
---There was a good turnout by farmers at the recent Tennessee/Kentucky Tobacco Expo Feb. 2 in Springfield, Tn., says Richmond. They were anxious to collect news on how to grow a better crop. Much of the information focused on labor management.
---A new burley variety is making a major impression in the market. KT 222, the last burley hybrid developed in the Kentucky-Tennessee breeding program, was introduced on a small scale in 2023, and the results were so good that burley farmers are beating down the doors for seed. It is manageable, says Richmond, and has good curability, but its greatest strength may be its excellent black shank resistance: It ranks 10 out of 10 in resistance to race 0, and nine out of 10 to race 1. Richmond thinks more that half the burley crop in Tennessee may be planted in 222.
---Seeding hasn’t begun in Tennessee at all, says Richmond. It may be two weeks before seeding starts.

NORTH CAROLINA

But seeding is well on its way in North Carolina, says Matthew Vann, Extension tobacco specialist. “It got going about one and a half weeks ago,” he says. Be sure to follow temperature and fertility management recommendations.

Production of flue-cured in 2024 appears rather flat except for the possibility of increased sales to China. One giveaway: Vann noticed at the winter meetings that some questions seemed directed at eliciting information on how to grow the kind of leaf that Chinese buyers like. Some tobacco for China will probably be bought on direct contracts and some by dealers… The strong market for last year’s crop could also ca excitement for 2024.

All positions filled: The N.C. Extension tobacco team is fully staffed for the first time in several years. The new members are:

· Maggie James, Extension associate tobacco;

· Jeff Dorfman, ag economist;

· Daisy Ahumada, plant pathologist and

· Lorena Lopez, entomology.

Awards and recognitions: Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina (TGANC) conferred a number of awards at its recent annual meeting. They were:

· Extension Service Award: Mike Carroll, Extension agent in Craven County, N.C.

· TGANC Outstanding Director Award: Sam Crews, grower, Granville County, N.C.

· Farm Family of the Year: Leggett Farming Partnership (Brent and Sue Leggett) of Nash County N.C.

· Lifetime Century Member: J. Michael Moore, Extension tobacco specialist, University of Georgia.

· Distinguished Service Award: Kent Yelverton, fair manager of the North Carolina State Fair.

· NC Tobacco Hall of Fame Class of 2024: Jerome Vick (Deceased), Wilson, N.C.; Frank Grainger, Cary, N.C.; and Larry Wooten, Raleigh, N.C.

Note: A special award was given the N.C. State Fair Tobacco Contest Winners in honor of their performance in October.

GAP TRAINING MEETINGS: There are a few more GAP Training meetings, mostly in Ky. The last is March 29. For information, call GAP at 865.622.4606, or email GAP Connection TrainingCalendar https://shop.gapconnections. com/meetings/calendar or contact your local Extension office. All meetings are in English.

Export meeting: Tobacco Associates (TA), the market promotion organization for flue-cured tobacco, will hold its 77th Annual Meeting on Friday, March 8 at the Wilson County Agricultural Center, 1806 SW Goldsboro St., Wilson, NC 27893. The program will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 12 Noon. Following the program, lunch will be provided. Please call 919-821-7670 or email tar@tobaccoassociatesinc.org by Tuesday, March 5, to indicate your attendance.