USDA PROJECTIONS: BURLEY ACRES UP 7%, FLUE -CURED DOWN 4%

Gearing up for planting in eastern North Carolina. File shot by Chris Bickers. USDA PLANTING PROJECTIONS Released March 31, 2016 HIGHLIGHTS: Flue-cured plantings are projected to be down four percent. The biggest percentage decrease among flue-cured states is projected for Georgia at 11 percent. N.C. acreage is projected to be down three percent...Burley plantings are projected to be up seven percent. Tennessee plantings are projected up a substantial 13 percent, with Kentucky up seven percent...Dark air-cured is projected up nine per cent...Fire-cured is projected up six percent. FLUE-CURED: North Carolina--160,000 acres, down three percent from 2016. Virginia--21,000 acres, down five percent from 2016.Georgia--12,000 acres, down 11 percent from 2016. South Carolina---12,000 acres, down eight percent from 2016. All U.S. flue-cured 205,000 acres, down four percent from 2016. BURLEY: Tennessee--13,500 acres, up 13 percent from 2016.  Kentucky-- 65,000 acres, up seven percent  from 2016. Pennsylvania-- 4,700 acres, down two percent from 2016. Virginia--1,100 acres, down eight percent from 2016. N.C.--1,000 acres, same as in 2016. All U.S. burley--85,300 acres, up seven percent from 2016. DARK AIR-CURED: Kentucky--5,300 acres, 10 percent above 2016. Tennessee--1,250 acres, up four percent from 2016. All U.S. dark air-cured--6,550 acres, up nine percent from 2016.  FIRE-CURED: Kentucky--10,000 acres, up five percent from 2016. Tennessee--7,500 acres, up seven percent from 2016. Virginia--250 acres, down four percent from 2016. All U.S. fire-cured -- 17,750, acres, up six percent from 2016. CIGAR FILLER: Pennsylvania -- 1,600 acres, same as in 2016.   SOUTHERN MARYLAND: Pennsylvania--1,800 acres, same as in 2016. ALL U.S. TOBACCO--318,000 acres, down one percent since 2016. Other tobacco news: A Brazilian connection: The leaf dealer United Tobacco Company (UTC US) of Wilson, N.C., now has a new parent company. UTC International--also located in Wilson, N.C.--will manage UTC US along with its new associated company, Contraf-Nicotex-Tobacco (CNT) of Brazil. Dirk Siemann, managing director of CNT, said, "This is an important step for our group as it will significantly widen our leaf footprint into these two important leaf markets, the U.S. and Brazil." New hotline on hot topics: GAPConnections is making available to tobacco growers a risk management hotline service designed to help growers manage their workforce and reduce their exposure to employment related liability. "The Human Resource and Legal Hotline will allow GAP Connections members to obtain guidance from experienced employment attorneys," says GAP Connections Executive Director Jane Chadwell. To access the hotline, you can call  (866) 823 - 6333 or email  LittlerHRhelp@ littler.com. Be prepared to provide your name, your GAP Connections Grower ID#, your geographic location, type of issue, your phone number and email address if available. For more informa-tion, please contact Chadwell at 865.622.4606 ext. 104 or JChadwell@gapconnections.com. We hope you have enjoyed the April I issue. If you would like a copy of each issue sent to your email address, click on Join Our Mailing List below and fill out the short question. Questions? Call editor Chris Bickers at 919 789 4631.