The hot question at winter grower meetings: IS OPTIMISM JUSTIFIED FOR 2025? The 2024 crop set an unenviable record, said Matt Grissom, president of the Tobacco Growers Association of N.C. at the association’s annual meeting in February. “It was the most expensive we have ever grown. And input costs continue to rise, led of course by the steady increase of the AERW for the H2A workforce, followed by fertilizer fuel and interest on operating capital... New varieties could help. The farmers who do well in the next few years are going to be the ones who find ways to increase yields, said Grissom. “We have pressed hard for the past decade to encourage research that demonstrates meaningful improvements to our plant varieties,” he said. “It is encouraging to see several recently introduced varieties that show gains in this area.” Other challenges: But that is not going to be enough,” Grissom said. We still need help in situations such as:” · o--Target spot that can wreck yields by as much as 400 pounds per acre. · o--Extended harvesting where the crop is left in the field longer so that it is overripe at harvest.” · 0--Chemistry as purchasers are shifting attention to things in the leaf that farmers we can’t see. A last look at last season N.C. marketed 208 million pounds of very high quality flue-cured tobacco in 2024. Beltwide, the crop was approximately 235 million pounds,” (calculated using the grower checkoff assessment as the standard mea-surement). The aggregate figure is about 100 million pounds short of the expected planted potential. Weather was the main reason for the shortfall in production. Hurricane Debby made landfall in August and was unique in that it impacted every acre of tobacco along the eastern seaboard from Florida to Pennsylvania. Supply tight, demand strong: The shortfall in the U.S. followed major reductions in origins such as Brazil and Zimbabwe, our two leading competitors for the world flue-cured market. The result: A tight supply and strong demand in the market. It’s expected to take multiple seasons worldwide to replenish stocks, said Grissom. Which way 2025 production? This season is shaping up to be a crop that potentially shows some slight increase in demand, said speakers at the TGANC annual meeting. Unfortunately, projections of domestic consumption continue to indicate decline. We witnessed contract reductions from some large domestic manufacturers. But export opportunities may increase in response to short global supplies. “Hopefully, this will be enough to offset domestic reduction,” said Grissom. “We predict a 2025 crop size that will hold flat in terms of planted acres.” Price can't be overlooked. Grissom pledged that TGANC will continue to communicate to buyers the importance of increased prices. “If we are expected to grow less tobacco, then it must provide increased returns.” The guiding principle of all business is net margins, and growers are losing confidence in (their) long term sustainability. I know purchasers grow tired of our persistent advocacy to increase prices,” he said. “But we are in an industry crisis and the only action that will save us is to restore profitability.” View from Kentucky: A delegation from the Burley and Dark Tobacco Growers of Kentucky and Tennessee attended the TGANC meeting. Al Pedigo of Scottsville, Ky., the president of the association, said it was encouraging to see the opportunity for the two groups to cooperate. "We are finding common ground to devote our efforts to," he said after the N.C. meeting. "Together we can carry more influence among political leaders.” BDTGA had just held its third meeting in January. The worst problem: : Without a doubt, adverse effect wage rates will be an urgent topic for discussion in Washington and in state capitals, says Pedigo, who is afraid that even with a good crop, tobacco farmers in Kentucky may be hard pressed to turn a profit after paying such a high labor cost. "AEWRs are the worst problem tobacco farmers have now." Burley contracting starts Burley plantings in the U.S. will be flat in 2025, Pedigo thinks. He notes that contracting for burley has barely started and won't get going in earnest till perhaps the end of the month...It appears that dark contracting will be way down again, he said. Resolution for a freeze: TGANC included wage rate reform as one of its resolutions at the February meeting. “We encourage solutions to streamline the wage rate formula,” said Graham Boyd, TGANC executive director. “It is critical to ensure a sustainable labor force. We support the current agricultural industry’s collective request…to freeze the AEWR at previous levels while a solution is achieved.” Tobacco outlook 2045 Thanks to a modest shortfall in output in most of the major flue-cured producing countries, the outlook is one of cautious optimism going into the season. Flue-cured production was definitely down in 2024, said Jeffrey Dorfman, N.C. Extension Agricultural Economist, in a presentation at the TGANC meeting. Excluding China, it was down 4% in 2024, he said. Zimbabwe had drought that hurt its harvest, but production is expected to rebound in 2025. Brazil reportedly has a big crop in the ground now. Nevertheless, there is a world shortage right now, and N.C. tobacco farmers should have good pricing power in 2025. “We could see prices of $2.30 to $2.50 per pound,” Dorfman said. Contract early But the consensus at the association meeting was that farmers should make contract arrangements early, since if there is any price swing later in the contracting season, it could be expected to be downward. And you can learn about export programs for flue-cured at Tobacco Associates’ Annual meeting, on March 6, at the Wilson County Agricultural Center, 1806 S. Goldsboro, Wilson N.C., from 10 to 12 a.m. EST. The program will feature speakers well informed on the leaf situation, including Ivan Genov, Manager Tobacco Industry Analysis for the International Tobacco Growers Association, who will give an overview of the global market. Admission is free. Lunch follows Please call 919-821-7670 or email tar@tobacco associatesinc.org to reserve a seat.c="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/

Caption: North Carolina growers gather at a past annual meeting of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina. This year's meeting will be held at the Southern Farm Show on February 7. See below for details. Photo courtesy of Southern Farm Show. NC TOBACCO GROWERS TO MEET FEB. 7 Plan on attending the annual meeting of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, 10 a.m., EST, Friday, February 7. It will be held at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, Holshouser Bldg. (its normal location), in Raleigh in connection with Southern Farm Show. A varied program will feature speakers projecting the outlook for tobacco in 2025. It will close with a free meal....A new tool for control of ALS: A new application program for the chemical Actigard is showing “some promise” in control of angular leaf spot (ALS) which has caused substantial damage to dark crops in Kentucky and Tennessee over the past 10 years,. Called a “plant activator,” Actigard doesn’t directly kill diseases but helps the plant turn on its natural defense system to fight off disease. It was particularly damaging on dark in Kentucky and Tennessee in 2016 and 2023. It does not affect flue-cured.....Different program than for blue mold: “We are testing a new application program for Actigard where we make more frequent applications at lower rates than the blue mold application programs,” says Bailey. “Actigard has not eliminated ALS in our trials, but it definitely works better when used at lower rates more frequently than with traditional programs we have tested in the past.”...There’s another advantage in control of ALS: Actigard can be used at low spray volumes and is not dependent on full plant coverage at high spray volume like streptomycin or copper programs. According to the label, Actigard could be applied at spray volumes as low as 10 gallons per acre. The third annual meeting of the Burley & Dark Tobacco Producer Association (BDTPA) was held January 16 at Sloan Convention Center, Bowling Green, Ky., in conjunction with the Council of Burley Tobacco and the Kentucky Commodity Conference. Attendance this year was estimated at 60, down a little because a leaf buyer had to reopen its doors after bad weather earlier forced it to close. Joe Cain, Executive Director of the association, said members were optimistic after the second full year of the association’s existence and plan to act aggressively on behalf of their members. First priority: A fact-finding delegation of farmers to travel to Washington DC to acquaint tobacco-state legislators and other officials who are significant to tobacco’s future with the association and its activity....The officers of the association, all reelected from a year ago, are President- Al Pedigo (also Council for Burley Tobacco); Vice President- Darrell Varner (also Chair CBT); Secretary- Bradley Shear; and Treasurer- Jason Wade....Four new directors were named to the BDTPA board at the meeting. They are David Furnish, Charlie Skaggs, Tony Eldridge and Tony Holloway. The association now has board members from Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana. It would be great to get members from all burley- and dark-producing states. Call Cain at (502) 303-3663 if you are interested. Look for more burley in the Black Patch this spring. Maybe much more, says Andy Bailey, dark tobacco specialist for Kentucky and Tennessee. Early reports are that companies plan to come to Western Kentucky and north central Tennessee to try to recoup some of the shortfall in the traditional burley areas.” At the same time, a substantial cut in contract offers for dark types is expected. These two trends suggest more burley, less dark. Why the decline in dark consumption? Nicotine pouches that only contain nicotine and no tobacco have increased in sales rapidly since 2018 while smokeless tobacco products like moist snuff have seen a slow but steady decline during that time, says Bailey. “This will be the third straight year in which dark contracts have been reduced by some major manufacturers,” he says...  DATES TO REMEMBER Ky-Tennessee Tobacco Expo, February 4, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. CST, Robertson County Fairgrounds, Springfield, Tn. Southern Farm Show, February 5 through 7, N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, starting at 9 a.m. EST each day. Admission is free. ...Breakfast with the Agriculture Commissioner (with Steve Troxler of N.C. February 7, at 7:30 a.m. EST at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Holshouser Bldg. (during Southern Farm Show.)

WHY VARIETY SELECTION IS THE FIRST STEP IN IMPROVING YOUR PROSPECTS IN 2045

Caption: So many greenhouses were damaged in Georgia and Florida by the 2024 storms that there is reason to think that there won't be enough plants for a full crop in 2025. See below. The yields of flue-cured tobacco in the United States plateaued in 1981 with the introduction of the tobacco variety K326. In the year 2000, tobacco yields began to increase by an average of five pounds per acre per year. You can take advantage of this improved yield situation to better you chances of profit in 2045. Start with variety selection. “We have access to a diversity of genetic material that is superior to what was available even a decade ago,” says Mathew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “Breeders have broken through the yield plateau of the 1980s and have found methods to incorporate better disease resistance along the way." Producers should strongly consider planting modern varieties, he says. In addition, economizing on production practices will frequently pay off. But be very careful about cutting back on practices with a proven positive impact. “It would be quite possible to throw out the baby with the bath water here,” says Vann. Most farmers have developed a good management program already. “You could make one or two small changes without affecting the yield, but the cumulative effect of numerous cuts could be commercial yield reduction.” Rebuilding greenhouses: The powerful storms of 2014—particularly Hurricane Helene—wreaked havoc on greenhouses in Georgia and Florida. Perhaps 25% of the capacity has been lost. But perhaps it can be retrieved--J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist, says farmers are vigorously repairing their facilities and expect to have many of them back in service in a few weeks. Note: This damage was not evenly distributed over the flue-cured states, and Extension specialists in N.C. and Va. reported very little barn crushing in their states, although there was plenty of structural damage in other areas.  Speaking of not cutting too many production corners, Moore urges farmers not to cut back much on tomato spotted wilt control. “There isn’t much new in spotted wilt control this season, so you need to make best use of what you have,” he says…There may be some relief from spotted wilt because of the very cold weather we have been having. “The weather may well reduce thrips infestations,” he says. Don’t economize on Admire Pro in the greenhouse before transplanting, he adds. New flue-cured variety: NC 987 is a new hybrid developed by Ramsey Lewis in the tobacco breeding program at N.C. State University. It has consistently exhibited yields above the test average in OVT trials with good, cured leaf quality. The variety is considered to have moderate resistance to black shank but minimal bacterial wilt resistance. DATES TO REMEMBER Ky-Tennessee Tobacco Expo, February 4, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. CST, Robertson County Fairgrounds, Springfield, Tn. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, 10 a.m., EST, Friday, February 7, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh (in connection with Southern Farm Show). Southern Farm Show, February 5 through 7, N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, starting at 9 a.m. EST each day. Admission is free. Breakfast with the Agriculture Commissioner (with Steve Troxler of N.C. February 7, at 7:30 a.m. EST at the N.C. State Fairgrounds Holshouser Bldg. (during Southern Farm Show.)

Caption: Some of the last flue-cured produced in North Carolina this season was "sold" at a mock auction at the N.C State Fair on October 25. Since then, the rest of the flue crop has been marketed, and burley and dark tobaccos are now moving into marketing channels. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

THE OUTLOOK FOR THE BURLEY MARKET It was another challenging year for Kentucky Tennessee tobacco farmers in 2024, ranging from extreme weather events to dramatically changing tobacco product markets. According to the latest USDA crop report, U.S. burley production for this year is pegged at 55 million pounds (vs 65 million pounds in 2023), with U.S. dark fire-cured estimated to be 24 million pounds (vs 36 million pounds in 2023) and U.S. dark air-cured expected to total 10.8 million pounds (vs 12.1 million pounds in 2023). "Good but not exceptional": Burley growers should find they have a good but not exceptional crop upon marketing their 2024 crop. There are some curing quality issues and pockets where yields were disappointing, but overall prices will likely improve modestly over last year’s prices. But heightened labor and other higher input costs will continue to erode profit margins. This may be the first time since 1955 that the value of tobacco production in Kentucky has fallen below $200 million. On a positive note, the U.S. burley sector has seen some rebound in leaf exports. But U.S. burley, like U.S. dark tobacco, will still be dependent primarily on sales of domestic tobacco. Burley supplies remain tight globally, but the supply/demand balance is not as tight as it has been in recent years because of a significant decline in U.S. cigarette sales. Historically, U.S. cigarette sales have declined at a 3-4% annual pace, but the decline has accelerated in recent years to falling nearly 10% annually. The U.S. dark tobacco industry continues to be plagued by the entry of nicotine pouches, which is growing at an annual 30%+ pace compared to 6-8% annual decline among major snuff products. --Source: Will Snell, Ky. Extension economist A few more notes on agronomy in 2024  Burley: Prospects for a good finish for the current burley crop are generally favorable. Mild to moderate drought conditions were observed in Kentucky and Tennessee throughout the growing season. Fortunately, many growers received just enough rainfall to produce burley of above average yields. Dry weather in August and September meant harvesting was able to progress well until the remnants of Hurricane Helene blew through in late September. But damage to burley from Helene was relatively minor, and in fact the lingering moisture associated with the storm greatly improved the color of tobacco in mid-cure at that time. Continued dry weather through October and into November resulted in later crops having some high color. Farmers are advised to let those crops hang as long as possible before stripping. That will help bring down the color and hopefully improve grading. --Source: Bob Pearce, Ky. Extension specialist......... Dark: The 2024 dark tobacco crop in west Ky. and Tn. started with a very wet May. There were only a few days in the beginning and end of the month suitable for transplanting tobacco. As a result, most of the crop was transplanted late, in June and even into the first few days of July. From late June until the end of July, the region had good, timely rainfall with minimal disease. These six weeks of good growing conditions resulted in a good dark tobacco crop for most growers. Angular leaf spot damage was minimal compared to 2023. Weather conditions turned very dry from the first of August until significant rain came from Hurricane Helene in late Septem-ber. These dry conditions during early curing resulted in less than average quality (lighter color) for dark air-cured crops harvested in August, and even lighter color with less smoke finish in some dark-fired crops harvested in August. Crops harvested in September through early October had more favorable curing conditions and better color. Dark crops that are light in color will benefit from hanging longer in the barn. Yields from dark-fired and dark air-cured tobacco will generally be good to above average this year, although overall quality may in some cases be a bit less than average due to light color. --Source: Andy Bailey, Ky. Extension specialist........ In other tobacco news....... Ruined facility replaced. The Burley Stabilization Corp. is now using a new marketing center at 200 Charles Ralph Dr. in Springfield, Tn., about five miles from its previous facility on Bill Jones Industrial Dr. That facility was destroyed by a tornado last December. The auctions for flue-cured turned out well this season, says Tommy Faulkner, auction manager for American Tobacco Exchanger in Wilson, N.C. "The quality was good, very usable," he says. "The crop was short, maybe 20 to 25%. But at one point we were afraid it might be worse. Growers did a good job of holding their tobacco in the field until they could get it harvested." Buyers didn't get all they wanted, especially on certain grades. But Faulkner says it seemed they were pleased with what they got. He noted that clean, clear, bright style tobacco ran out toward the end of the season. Also, the quality deteriorated toward the end, as it does a lot of years. "The auction did extremely well, with strong participation from the buyers." Prices ranged from $1.85 to $2.55 a pound. The last auction sales took place on November 13. How much flue-cured in 2024? Before the weather turned bad, the flue-cured crop was estimated at around 330-340 million pounds. "[Now,] TGANC expects the final delivery will fall in the range of 230-240 million pounds belt wide," says Graham Boyd, executive vice president of the association. DATES TO REMEMBER Annual Meeting, Kentucky/Tennessee Burley & Dark Tobacco Producer Association, January 16, at Sloan Convention Center. Bowling Green, Kentucky. 9 a.m.--3:45 p.m. Central Time. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, 10 a.m., EST, Friday, February 7, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh (in connection with Southern Farm Show). Southern Farm Show, February 5 through 7, N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, starting at 9 a.m. EST each day. Admission is free.

QUALITY LIFTS PRICES ON FLUE-CURED, BURLEY MARKETS

Caption: Buyers compete for flue-cured leaf at an auction at the Horizon tobacco warehouse at Wilson, N.C., earlier this year. ............. .......BURLEY DODGES QUICK-CURE BULLET There was considerable relief among burley buyers when leaf began to arrive at the buying stations. There had been a lot of dry weather during the curing season and there was a fear that it would lead to reduced quality, said Daniel Green, chief executive officer of Burley Stabilization Corporation, which began taking deliveries last week. “Most buyers seem pleased with the quality of the early leaf given the very challenging growing season plagued by a long dry spell. And they expect the later-delivered leaf to be even better due to improved curing conditions late in the season.” Some may have been the side effects of Hurricane Helene, but Green says that as far as effect on burley production is concerned, Helene was not a significant factor. There were certainly torrential rains in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, but little tobacco is grown in those areas anymore. “Burley there makes up a small part of the total crop,” Green says. A national burley crop of 55 million pounds has been projected by USDA. Based on early deliveries, Green thinks it might be a little lower, maybe 50 million pounds, which would be 10% less than last month. USABLE LEAF CHARACTERIZES BRIGHT MARKET It was a tough, tough season for the 2024 flue-cured crop, which will be remembered as the crop that could not catch a break, says Rick Smith, president of Independent Leaf Tobacco, a leaf dealer in Wilson, N.C. “It was dry, it was wet, there were hurricanes…it was one thing after another. It’s a miracle that so much of the crop turned out as well as it did.” The crop was short, he says. ”We could have sold a lot more if it had been there. Most everyone came up short. I know I did. We need a barnbuster next year to make up for this”…The quality was surprisingly good. “What was sold was useable,” says Smith. He concludes by szying, “There was nothing about the 2024 crop that you would call normal.”.....  REALLY GOOD YIELDS FOR DARK “We have a good crop,” says Andy Bailey, dark tobacco Extension specialist. “Delivery to receiving stations has just started. The color is a little lighter on our dark air-cured and burley than we would like. We even see a little of that on our dark fire-cured also.” It could have been worse: “It was so dry during the early part of the curing season in August and most of September.” There are some really good yields despite the heat and sporadic dry conditions. “I have seen some dark fired yields of 3,700 pounds per acre or more in our plots, which is very good.” Estimated volume of dark fire-cured is about 24 million pounds, says Bailey. That is a little short of earlier projections. For dark air-cured, he estimates 11 million pounds.  REPORT FROM OVERSEAS Leaf shortage a certainty: There is no doubt that there will be a shortage of leaf at the end of 2024, said farmers who attended the recent meeting of the International Tobacco Growers Association. Some of those in attendance predicted that flue-cured tobacco will reach balance in 2025 and burley in 2026. But others were much less optimistic. Chasing higher yields: The tobacco-producing areas of the United States, Brazil and the European have registered the highest yields in recent years, but overall the picture is one of flat performance or even decline. That goes against trends in crops like corn, soybean and cotton. In the United States, commercial growers have achieved the best results, but changes in management practices have not led to the expected yield increases. Elsewhere, in Africa, aspects inherent to small scale growing--including lack of infrastructure, water deficits and inadequate land preparation--have led to much lower productivity. CORRECTION In the November 2024 issue of TFN, the winner of a tobacco award at the N.C. State Fair was mistakenly identified. The item should have read: “The Commissioners Awards given by the N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture for the best tobacco displayed at the N.C. State Fair went to Bruce Whitfield of Hurdle Mills, N.C.” DATES TO REMEMBER Annual Meeting, Kentucky/Tennessee Burley & Dark Tobacco Producer Association, January 16, at Sloan Convention Center. Bowling Green, Kentucky. 9 a.m.--3:45 p.m. Central Time. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, 10 a.m., EST, Friday, February 7, at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh (in connection with Southern Farm Show). Southern Farm Show, February 5 through 7, N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, starting at 9 a.m. EST each day. Admission is free.

LOOKING BACK OVER A REALLY BAD YEAR

Caption: Wrapping up another crop: A North Carolina farmer harvests the last few stalks of his flue-cured crop near Raleigh. Photo: Christopher Bickers. The leaves have been pulled from the flue-cured plants and the stalk-cut types have been cut and hung on tier poles, and although there may be a few farmers left with tobacco still in the field, the 2024 crop is for all practical purposes complete. It was a year to remember--although many of us would rather not--and following is a final report on the end of burley and dark production plus a report from the N.C. State Fair. BURLEY AND DARK In Kentucky, it was dry early and wet late, says Joe Cain, Executive Director, Kentucky-Tennessee Burley and Dark Tobacco Producers Assn. “But we came out with a decent burley crop considering that it was dry again during harvest,” he says. In that situation, there is a danger of a quick cure, producing leaf that is hard to sell. “Our dark tobacco suffered less from the weather resulting in less disease pressure. We had disappointing contract reductions in 2024, but we will have a dark crop next season. We just don’t know at what level. Contracts and prices will determine how much. Currently I don’t have any information what they will be”…The market may look better for burley. “There certainly isn’t any oversupply of burley in the world so there could be some expansion,” he says…In Tennessee, harvest ended by early November. Curing weather was reasonably good since then. “It had been dry but then we got a couple of rains recently that really helped,” said Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension specialist. Not a lot of the crop remains to be cured, he adds…East Tennessee and western North Carolina suffered savage rain and flood damage from Hurricane Helene. But the loss of tobacco was not extreme because not much burley is grown in these areas anymore…Richmond says the still relatively new variety KT 222 was a success again in 2024. “It has proven to be the highest variety in black shank resistance that we have had in quite a while. It is going to be a popular variety in coming years.” PIEDMONT FLUE-CURED In North Carolina, two men who grow tobacco north of Raleigh stopped to talk to Tobacco Farmer Newsletter in an interview during the Tobacco Stringing Contest at the North Carolina State Fair last October 18: Jonathan Renn, who farms in Franklin and Vance Counties, said 2024 was “definitely” a challenging season. But his area was largely spared from the worst of hurricane damage. There was some wind damage from Hurricane Debbie, “But our problems were mainly caused by too much water. And we had a drought that was a big problem too. Two weather events in one year are too much,” he said. Yield and quality were good considering the conditions. “But they weren’t up to normal.” Tom Shaw, who farms in Vance County, said, “We only made about 60% of a normal crop. It was very dry early and very wet later on. Tobacco doesn’t like wet feet.” But the hurricanes didn’t bother us.” One problem, he said, was that he had to harvest too fast, in order to get it in before the tobacco deteriorated. “We stayed behind the whole time. I finished earlier than I ever have.” The yield was “terrible,” he added. “Maybe 1,500 or 1,600 pounds per acre.” WINNERS FROM THE N.C. FAIR Tie that tobacco! The Maple Hill Loopers won the N.C. State Fair’s Tobacco Stringing on Oct. 13. It was the team’s ninth win. The team is made up of husband and wife Sandy and Ken Jones of Maple Hill and Michael Sunday of Hendersonville. Terrific tips: Brent Leggett of Nashville, N.C., was awarded the Commissioner’s Award for his tobacco. “Hands down, Brent’s entry in the tips category was the best,” said Stan Biconish, superintendent of the tobacco heritage competition. “From su-perior leaf texture to the quality of the leaf and its maturity, his tobacco was a standout.“ REPORT FROM OVERSEAS Why world production is down: Ivan Genov, manager of tobacco industry analysis for the International Tobacco Growers Association, listed the driving forces in the main tobacco-growing countries: “Unfavorable weather patterns in leading markets including Brazil, Zimbabwe and the US were a key contributor to decreased total global sales in 2024.” A few markets registered growth, said Genov, with Malawi, a key country for burley, having a particularly positive year.

WAS HELENE A MAJOR OBSTACLE TO HARVEST?

>Winds and rain from Hurricane Helene crushed this greenhouse in south Georgia. Photo courtesy of J. Michael Moore, Univ.l of Georgia. GEORGIA-FLORIDA--Growers are still in cleanup mode in Georgia and Florida, says J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist. But the damage from Helene was nowhere near what Debby caused. One reason is that harvest was for all practical purposes complete when Helene arrived. Some tobacco was still curing, causing problems where the power went out. "Now, we have almost finished marketing,” says Moore. “I know of several hundred bales that are going to be delivered next Tuesday. After that there will be very little left to sell. We are close to closing the doors on this crop”... There was a good market for pickings this season, Moore says. “A lot of them went for $1 a pound”...Moore estimates that Georgia-Florida growers will market maybe 55 percent of expected production. “So many of our farmers are way short of pounds. They may be short of financing too. But my impression is that local lenders still have faith in tobacco farmers.” SOUTH CAROLINA--No tobacco remained in the field in South Carolina when Helene struck, says William Hardee, Extension tobacco specialist. “In the Pee Dee, winds got up as high as 40 to 50 miles an hour with three to six inches of rain.” That was very mild compared to upstate S.C. and surrounding states. "We were very fortunate," says Hardee. "2024 was a very challenging season with a lower yield than we hoped for. However, good prices at the marketplace have helped our growers. Most are ready to put this season behind them." NORTH CAROLINA--In the East, farmers should finish harvest next week. "That would be mid October, which is right on time for some of our larger operations," says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. “We have no frost warning yet, and I don’t think that is going to be a problem. Barring another disaster, we should finish this crop smoothly. In the Old Belt, we probably should have two or three weeks to go, but the recent storms may have caused enough plant stress to not let that happen.” There was definitely more stress from Hurricane Helene in the Piedmont than the Coastal Plain, Vann says…No more than 15% of the flue-cured crop is still in the field now, Vann says, maybe less…An estimated 55% of the N.C. burley crop was still in the field as of September 29, according to USDA-NASS. The extreme rains and winds associated with Helene would have been catastrophic for N.C. burley in the old days but now so little burley is grown there that it is less of a problem...In the Coastal Plain, damage from Helene was extremely minimal. What there was mainly infrastructure damage. There were power outages and some localized flooding. “We fared well in the East.”" KENTUCKY--Helene wasn’t catastrophic to Kentucky tobacco farmers but it definitely posed some challenges, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. There was one compensating benefit: It helped with the humidity. “Our cured leaf quality may have been improved by the moisture left behind by the storm. We were in the midst of a drought prior to the storm. Partially cured tobacco came into high case and stayed that way for serval days leading to a darker color in the cured leaf. There was a lot of rain, in the four to five inch range.” There could have been damage to tobacco in barns. “But our farmers generally got them closed up before the storm arrived,” says Pearce...Kentucky farmers were a little behind on harvesting. “But we were at least 80% harvested, maybe more,” says Pearce. “Now, of what is still in the field, some has been delayed by the rain and wet conditions. But that is a relatively small portion of the crop"... Pearce expects marketing to begin in November. TENNESSEE--Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina might have been the hardest hit tobacco areas, but these areas produce relatively little tobacco any more so loss will not be high. Helene's damage was also limited by the fact that it struck late in the season: Farmers in the hurricane's direct path had mostly wrapped up harvest when Helene arrived, but there may still be some left in the field, particularly in middle Tennessee, says Mitchell Richmond, Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist. “Normally, we would finish up harvest in the next few days.” (Note: USDA-NASS estimated that 80% of the crop had been cut by September 29.) “Most of our tobacco acreage is concentrated in middle TN, and only a few growers are still producing in East TN.” The storm had one favorable side effect. “The curing season needed more moisture because it was so dry before Helene. If there is any benefit from the storm it is that the moisture it brought will help the cure”…The eastern counties that experienced flooding are still grappling with loss of family and friends, loss of property, power outages and debris cleanup. “There are a lot of people struggling in the aftermath of Helene in east TN and western NC. There is a great deal of damage. Some farms that grow produce lost their entire crop and all the topsoil in their river bottom fields.” Richmond adds, “One of the tobacco fields used for black shank research in Greene County, TN had about 20 feet of water rushing over top." That particular field bordered the enormously overflowed Nolichucky River. "The effect of Helene will be felt for weeks, months, and years to come," he says. BLACK PATCH—For this area too, the effects of Helene were relatively mild. “We had six inches of rain from last Thursday to Wednesday of this week,” says Andy Bailey, Kentucky-Tennessee Extension dark specialist. “There was no major damage to the crop in the field, and we still have a lot in the field.” It was a late crop already, and then it was delayed further by the weather last week. The rain was actually beneficial, he says. “It had gotten so dry before the storm. A lot of the rainfall soaked in, and afterward we had better soil moisture.” Among the negatives from the storm: A few barns were lost, and diseases were worsened, including a little angular leafspot. But this crop of dark tobacco appears to be of good quality, although the dark air-cured and some of the burley grown in the area are a little high in color, Bailey says.