Caption: The first plants of the 2025 are going into the ground in the Deep South, as in this file photo from the University of Georgia. THE SEASON BEGIN--S TRANSPLANTING STARTS IN FLORIDA The first tobacco of 2025 was set out last Monday near Lee, Florida. The weather conditions were dry except for an occasional shower passing through. Full-scale transplanting was not expected till the end of the first week of April. Greenhouse repair: Hurricane Helene destroyed or damaged many Georgia-Florida greenhouses. But farmers rose to the task over the winter of replacing or repairing the structures. “Some made repairs on the houses they had been using, while in other cases houses that had been unused before the last planting season were acquired and put back into service.” How much acreage will be contracted in Georgia and Florida this year? Of the major buyers, RJ Reynolds has reportedly doubled it’s contracting in the two states. But Universal Leaf is not taking any GF leaf at all at its previous Nashville, Ga., facility. It could take some for delivery at its Nash County, N.C.; leaf factory. But how much, if any, remains to be seen. One bit of good news: JTI has stated its intention to buy for the first time some Type 14 leaf for delivery to its plant in Danville, Va. Keeping trays uncontaminated: A checklist for 2025-- If you reuse trays from the previous season, be sure to steam them at 176°F for 30 minutes to reduce potential carryover of disease-causing organisms. Do not use bleach to clean trays, as it can damage transplants if not sufficiently rinsed away. Keep track of storage locations for trays when not in use, and avoid potential contact with anything that might cause damage to seedlings, such as herbicides. Contracting in the Old Belt: In Mount Airy, N.C., near Winston-Salem, a longtime reader of TFN reports that he has gotten favorable responses from the three companies he hopes to contract with. But he hasn’t received firm acreage or price offers yet. Though the price may well be better than in 2024, he doesn’t plan to increase his plantings since he has made all the economies in production that he can. “There are no places left to cut costs on our tobacco,” he says. “We are as mechanized as possible.” But he did diversify by adding grains and beef cattle to his operation. “We don’t want to be as dependent on tobacco as we have been.” Transitions: Hank Mozingo, president of Tobacco Associates, will retire on March 31. In April. Kimberly Foley will take the position of Executive Director of Tobacco Associates.