Tobacco Farmer Newsletter

Sandy soil (as in this field shown in this file shot taken near Tarboro, N.C.) allowed Eastern Belt farmers to make some progress on planting. But much of the Tobacco Belt was slowed by rain and cold in May.

FLUE-CURED

North Carolina--Like much of the Southeast, it has been too wet and cool in North Carolina for the crop to make much progress, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "Two weeks ago, a survey showed that 59 percent of the flue-cured crop had been set. But I doubt we are up to much more than 65 percent. A few growers in the east who have sandy soil were able to finish up, but for most of the state, the rain has put on the brakes on transplanting. We just haven't had the drying time we need." Warmer temperatures would help too, since growth in the field has been slowed.

South Carolina--Planting is substantially complete, and the crop looks good so far, says William Hardee, area S.C. Extension agronomy agent. One area of concern: About 300 acres that had been planted before the cold weather of the weekend of April 9 are showing some effects. There wasn't serious damage but Hardee notes that you see some skips between plants and some unevenness in growth. "If it will all grow to the same height, we are not looking at too much of a problem." Meanwhile, there is some incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus.

Virginia--Transplanting was moving at a glacial pace for flue-cured and fire-cured growers in Virginia. As of May 15, only about 28 percent of the flue-cured crop had been transplanted, compared to a five-year average by that date of 57 percent. For fire-cured, which is grown in roughly the same area of south central Virginia as flue-cured, only about five percent had been set out by that date, compared to the five-year average of 29 percent. But burley was much nearer the average, with 12 percent set out against a five-year average of 14 percent. Note: All projections are from NASS' Crop Progress and Condition for Virginia.

BURLEY

Kentucky--Very slow progress has been made because of the weather. "I would guess that maybe five percent of the burley crop is planted," says Kentucky Extension tobacco

specialist Bob Pearce. "We have had basically one full day and part of another that were dry enough to get anything done." Now, plants are ready to go, but farmers are forced to hold them back. "We are putting a lot of effort into disease control in the greenhouse, especially target spot." A plant shortage is certainly possible. Pearce is afraid Kentucky farmers may wind up planting in a narrow window, then not be able to harvest it all when it is ready. "Some might have to stay out longer than needed," he says.

Tennessee--Due to rain, very little field work was accomplished in the major burley-producing area around Nashville in the week ending May 15. Some newly set fields in Cheatham County (west of Nashville) suffered serious hail damage, said Ronnie Barron, county Extension agent, in the Tennessee Crop Weather from NASS. Very heavy rains caused some flooding in parts of Trousdale County (northeast of Nashville), leaving some corn and soybean plantings under water. Flooding caused some issues in newly transplanted burley fields, said Jason Evitts, county Extension agent, also in Tennessee Crop Weather.

DARK

Kentucky/Tennessee--Only about 10 percent of the dark tobacco types have been set out in Kentucky and Tennessee, says Andy Bailey, Kentucky Extension dark tobacco specialist. "We would like to be at 15 percent or more. But we have had only three or four good days since May 4, thanks to a lot of rain." Plants are doing well in the floatbeds and there shouldn't be any shortage, he adds.

In other news...

The global supply demand balance for burley improved greatly over the past year resulting in modest changes in U.S. contract volume for 2016, according to the April 26 edition of Economic and Policy Update from the University of Kentucky. Smaller crops in South America, Africa and the United States, coupled with a surprising increase in U.S. cigarette production helped offset the impacts of a strengthening U.S. dollar. Globally, world burley production is down around 20 percent over the past two years.

The race to end a long setting season: Farmers pulled out all the stops to finish transplanting in late May and early June, as in this file photo taken in eastern N.C. of an eight-row Trium transplanter from C&M.

Beautiful in the field: The crop in eastern North Carolina is just "beautiful," says Rick Smith, president of Independent Leaf Tobacco, a dealer in Wilson, N.C. "We are getting warm nights now, and if we could get the rain to slow down, it would take off."

Still some to plant in N.C. It looks like 95 to 96 percent of the flue-cured crop in N.C. is planted, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "That is not a good number for this time of year. We like to be done by now." In the east, all the crop has been planted, most of it since the end of May, and generally it really took off as soon as it got into the ground." About 25 percent statewide is late, and Vann is concerned that there might be a problem if there is intense heat in July or earlier.

In the Old Belt, the crop is falling into two segments, says Vann: one that is being laid by now and one that is going in the ground. Soils that don't drain well tend to fall in the latter category. In the Winston-Salem area, about five percent of the flue-cured

remains to be planted, says Tim Hambrick, Extension tobacco agent for Forsyth, Stokes and Surry counties. "This is awfully late," he says. "We would like to be done by now. Some of our tobacco is being planted after the insurance date." Very hard weather conditions in May were the reason for the late planting and development, he says.

In the Kentucky Bluegrass, some fields are yet to be planted and those that have are about two to three weeks behind, says Jerry Rankin, burley grower and owner of Farmers Tobacco Warehouse in Danville. "I would say 55 percent to 70 percent is planted. In a normal year it would be more like 90 percent. There is still plenty to go out." Rankin still has eight to 10 more acres of his own to plant. "You would rather be done in May than June 7 or 8." But the tobacco that has been planted has a near perfect stand, he says. "It looks super good."

Note to burley growers: 2016 will be no year to overproduce, says Daniel Green, chief executive officer of Burley Stabilization Corporation (BSC), headquartered in Springfield, Tn. The world burley market continues a very slow recovery from oversupply, especially neutral filler, he says, and producing more than the industry demands will put additional pressure on growers. "Don't overshoot your contracted pounds," he says.

Return of a tobacco specialist: BSC recently appointed Don Fowlkes to serve as agronomist stationed at the BSC facility in Greeneville, Tn., and provide support to Bill

Maksymowicz who serves as agronomist out of the BSC office in Springfield. Fowlkes was the Extension tobacco specialist for the state of Tennessee from 1985 to 2001. He has been employed by Philip Morris USA and PMI for most of the intervening time.

What style of burley is in demand now? Fowlkes says, "In broad terms the, the burley our customers want is best described as being medium to heavy bodied with a tannish-red to red color line--not tobacco that is thin and bright (buff, light tan, K color lines), but also not tobacco that is excessively dark or black." Generally speaking, a tan with tannish red to red color line is preferred over bright or light. And medium to heavy body is preferred over thin, especially upstalk. "This is not to imply that the 'thins' or downstalk grades are not important or not in demand," he says. "They are."

One way to make lower-stalk flue-cured leaf more valuable: shake off the sand. "This is one of the most serious problems with lower-stalk tobacco," say agronomists associated with N.C. State University. "The content of sand sometimes runs as high as one sixth of the weight of tobacco. Sand removal will definitely increase the quality of your tobacco."

Correction: USTC will operate five leaf marketing centers this season--Nashville, Ga.; Mullins, S.C.; Wilson, N.C.; Smithfield, N.C., and the new one in LaCrosse, Va. It will operate a green leaf storage facility in Sanford, N.C.

Flue-cured plants in south Georgia show effects of tomato spotted wilt virus last week. (Photo courtesy of J. Michael Moore).

Tomato spotted wilt is widespread in Florida and Georgia. "This is probably the highest incidence in the last 10 years," says J. Michael Moore, Georgia-Florida Extension tobacco specialist. "We are seeing 20, 30, even 40 percent of fields with the disease," says Moore. It has appeared in South Carolina too.

Why the spotted wilt outbreak? "The likely reason is the extremely warm winter that we had," says Moore. "It allowed the survival of the weeds that host the disease and the thrips that vector it." Georgia-Florida farmers

generally use Actigard and Admire to reduce TSWV losses. But this season the chemicals seem to have been overwhelmed.

What's worse, black shank will likely be a problem in the Deep South soon. "Thanks to excessive rains associated with the tropical storms Bonnie and Colin, we can expect to see more black shank than normal in the next few weeks, although there isn't much now," says Moore...Black shank has really come on strong in South Carolina in the last week, says William Hardee, Clemson area Ex-tension agent for Horry and Marion Counties. "Tobacco is showing more and more disease," he says
.

Blue mold has also been problematic. "We have had blue mold in these two states since Easter," says Moore. "It falls in a strip running from Gainesville, Fl., to Metter, Ga. It has only been at a low level on lower leaves and will likely be reduced with warmer and drier weather. But between blue mold and TSWV, the value of the downstalk leaves is likely to be reduced."

Since the demand for downstalk leaf is down anyway, this is the year to leave downstalk leaves in the field, Moore says. "It is likely we will have an inferior quality tobacco at the bottom, and we don't need to spend money on harvesting, curing and baling it." You could remove the bottom leaves with a defoliator, but Moore thinks that is an unnecessary expense too. "Set your harvester at a level that leaves all but the best lugs, and make a good primings grade for your first harvest," he says. "Just leave the bottom leaves in the field."

Flyings versus lugs: In contrast, the leaves from the bottom of the burley stalk--called flyings--are in short supply on the current market. The main reason: Under present practices, it is hard to produce a true flying. "There may be only one or two flyings on the stalk," says Don Fowlkes, agronomist for the Burley Stabilization Corporation in Springfield, Tn. "So farmers usually end up with a bottom grade that is a mixture of flyings and cutters. We are encouraging growers to separate true flyings from cutters if they can."

Crop report: In Florida, harvest of flue-cured has begun, and it should start in Georgia very soon, says Moore. In South Carolina, 13 percent of the flue-cured had been topped by June 19. In Virginia, 91 percent of the flue-cured, 88 percent of the burley and 85 percent of fire-cured had been transplanted by June 19, according to USDA. The burley crop in Tennessee was late getting in the ground, with perhaps 20 percent still to be planted as of June 17, says Fowlkes. In North Carolina, 75 percent of the burley was transplanted, and in Kentucky, 83 percent of all types have been transplanted, both estimates through June 19, again according to USDA.

DATES TO REMEMBER

June 23, Tobacco Field Day. Highland Rim AgResearch & Education Center, Springfield, Tn. 8 a.m. to 1:30 P.M. (CDT). Contact 615-382-3130.
July 25-27. N.C. Tobacco Tour. Details to follow.
August 2. Annual Tobacco Research Field Day. Southern Piedmont AREC, Blackstone, Va. Registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner. Tour will begin at 6 p.m. Contact: Margaret Kenny at 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu.

BIG M TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

1723 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson, N.C.,

in the old Liberty Warehouse

Mann Mullen is the owner of Big M auction warehouse in Wilson, N.C.

We hold sealed bid auctions

We promise

HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY

SERVICE

We will be GAP certified

For more information, contact Mann Mullen at 919-496-9033

or the warehouse switchboard at 252-206-1447.

Email: shrimpmann@embarqmail.com.

FARMERS TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

209 Harding St., Danville, Ky.

PH: 859-236-4932

Full-service burley warehouse

Jerry Rankin, Owner

Call for information.

Blue mold lesions grow on flue-cured leaves in this file photo of a field in southeastern N.C.

The fungal disease was spotted on flue-cured in Caswell County, N.C., on June 17. Extension agent Joey Knight reports that the farmer treated quickly and thoroughly with Quadris and the blue mold was kept under control. "We'd been having 50-degree nights, heavy dews, and there was a 3.5 inch rain the night before," Knight says. "The conditions were right for blue mold. "But he had just topped, and after he sprayed. a hot spell set in, and there was very little spread. A few neighboring fields got a little of the disease, but all affected farmers sprayed. By the Fourth of July weekend, there appeared to be no more active blue mold in the area, which is south of Danville, Va. There have been no other reports of blue mold in N.C,, but it continues on flue-cured in Florida and Georgia.

Scout tobacco fields for blue mold in the coming days, particularly since many areas of Kentucky have had rainy weather recently, Emily Pfeufer, Ky. Extension plant

pathologist. Focus on areas where the pathogen is likely to encounter conditions that are conducive to the disease: Low spots, areas with partial shade, lower leaves and locations where water tends to drain slowly. "Look for yellow to orange spots on tops of lower leaves, then turn leaves over to check for blue-gray, some-what fuzzy sporula-tion," says Pfeufer. "Sporulation is more abundant under humid conditions, so scouting is most effective when done in early morning or late afternoon." The more recently set plantings will be more susceptible to infection. "However, all tobacco may be considered at-risk, especially crops located east of I-75."

Limited resistance: A few modern burley varieties have partial resistance to blue mold. "But none have what we would consider high resistance," says Pfeurer. "[And]

there is no resistance at all in dark tobacco."

Budworms versus ear-worms: Entomologists in N.C. have started seeing budworms in tobacco that was planted on time, says Hannah Burrack, N.C. Extension entomologist. "But there is less pressure on the tobacco that was planted later"...There were unusual early populations of corn earworm relative to budworms in some parts of the state, says Burrack. "It is interesting to us, but we manage both insects the same way."

New N.C. plant patholo-gist for tobacco: Lindsey Thiessen has been named the new N.C. Extension plant pathologist covering tobacco, replacing Mina Mila, who is now concentrating on research and teaching. In addition to tobacco, Thiessen will cover plant pathology on cotton, soybeans and other field crops. She will have some research responsibilities. A native of Texas, she recently obtained her doctorate at Oregon State University. She will work out of the main N.C. State campus in Raleigh.

USDA PLANTINGS ESTIMATES

Flue-cured plantings achieve earlier estimate, but burley didn't--USDA said in its June 30 acreage report that flue-cured growers planted 209,000 acres, down 11,000 acres from last season and about what was predicted in USDA's Prospective Plantings Report in March. But burley growers planted only 75,900 acres, down 3,000 acres from 2015, rather than the small increase USDA had projected in March. Following are the state-by-state projections for the various types compared to last year.

FLUE-CURED: North Carolina, 160,000 acres, down 12,000 acres. Virginia, 21,000 acres, down 500 acres. South Carolina, 14,500 acres, up 1,500 acres. Georgia, 13,500 acres, no change.

BURLEY: Kentucky, 57,000 acres, down 1,000 acres. Tennessee, 12,000 acres, no change. Pennsylvania, 4,800 acres, up 100 acres. Virginia, 1,200 acres, down 100 acres. North Carolina, 900 acres, down 100 acres.

FIRE-CURED: All states--17,150 acres, down 700 acres. By state--Kentucky, 9,500 acres, down 400 acres. Tennessee, 7,400 acres, down 300 acres. Virginia, 250 acres, no change.

DARK AIR-CURED: All states--5,900 acres, down 300 acres. By state--Kentucky, 4,700 acres, down 300 acres. Tennessee, 1,200 acres, no change.

PENNSYLVANIA SEEDLEAF: Pennsylvania, 1,600 acres, no change.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND: Pennsylvania, 1,600 acres, no change.

DATES TO REMEMBER

July 25-27. N.C. Tobacco Tour. Tentatively starting 4 p.m. Jly 25 near Bentonville, N.C., continuing with tours starting in Kinston on July 26 and in Rocky Mount on July 27 and ending in Oxford. To register, go to the NCSU Tobacco Growers Information website at https://tobacco.ces.ncsu.edu.
August 2. Annual Tobacco Research Field Day. Southern Piedmont AREC, Blackstone, Va. Registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner. Tour will begin at 6 p.m. Contact: Margaret Kenny at 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu.
August 8-9. Burley Tobacco Industry Tour, Lexington, Ky. Details to be announced.

ADVERTISING

BIG M TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

1723 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson, N.C.,

in the old Liberty Warehouse

Mann Mullen is the owner of Big M auction warehouse in Wilson, N.C.

We hold sealed bid auctions

We promise

HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY

SERVICE

We will be GAP certified

For more information, contact Mann Mullen at 919-496-9033

or the warehouse switchboard at 252-206-1447.

Email: shrimpmann@embarqmail.com.

FARMERS TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

209 Harding St., Danville, Ky.

PH: 859-236-4932

Full-service burley warehouse

Jerry Rankin, Owner

Call for information.

In my last issue, I reported the opinion of the leader of US Tobacco Cooperative that auctions are contributing to the problem of oversupply of leaf; the response of warehouseman Dennis White of Rural Hall, N.C.; and my own opinion that warehouses are a more desirable marketing method than anything that might rise up in their place. I asked for other opinions, and I definitely got them. Following are the first responses I received. If you want to weigh in with further thoughts, I will print them in a future issue. Email direct to this address: chrisbickers@gmail.com. Write Auctions in the heading. The original items appear at the end of this section. And after that there is a short update on several new outbreaks of blue mold that I have become aware. Look for my next issue around the first of August.--Chris Bickers

Strongly disagree [with editor Bickers].

Charlie S. Batten, N.C.

[I] just read your thoughts on the auctions, [and I] cannot follow your thinking! There about eight end users of flue-cured tobacco. The contractors are receiving tobacco that should be graded for a price, say $2.10, [which] they reject by grading to a lesser price. The farmer takes the bale to auction and receives an offer of $1.50. What is he to do? He sells to warehouse...The warehouse sells the bale, direct or indirect, to the same company after everyone involved gets their cut. Everyone wins except the grower! The situation is even worse with wildcat tobacco that is covered with crop insurance! Wake up!
Kendall Hill, N.C.

I agree with you [that] auctions remain a needed portion of our tobacco leaf sales system. There will always be some leaf falling below contract standards but [that is] usable in lesser brands. Many people don't realize our major buyers are pointing those contract purchases to manufacturing premium brands here and globally. The cheaper off-quality leaf can be nearly a substitute for the imported strips from Africa, India and some Asian countries. A far more important issue is the acres produced with the RMA subsidized crop insurance as the underlying revenue guarantee and subsequent flow of those dollars. Despite some feeble attempts to reform the most offending portions of that system, the pounds from both burley and flue continue to increase going through the quality grading program. Only when the insurance reform discussions are being lead by non-conflicted growers will we see improvements in the abuse of the crop insurance area.

Roger Quarles, Ky.

(Note: In an earlier edition, this letter was mistakenly attributed to Roger Quarles' son, Ryan Quarles, Commissioner of Agriculture of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.)

I may regret these words, but if a farmer [has] contract pounds, he or she should not be able to insure it. Insurance is what is supporting wildcat tobacco and that only hurts the whole tobacco industry.

Brad Barefoot, N.C.

Here is the editor's original opinion: The danger of oversupply comes not so much from tobacco sold beyond what is contracted, but from tobacco sold beyond what is contracted that no one knows about. The auctions offer at least a framework for transparency. I consider them--and have considered them from the time the new ones started springing up--to be a positive addition to our marketing system. I wish we had more of them (TFN July II 2016).

UPDATE ON BLUE MOLD

--Pennsylvania: Blue mold was found growing in several tobacco fields in the Christiana area of eastern Lancaster County two weeks ago. It has since been found at low levels in other areas as well. At this point, the incidences don't appear to be cause for much concern. "With the recent hot dry weather, it should not spread very quickly," says Jeff Graybill, Pennsylvania agronomy Extension educator. "But fields should continue to be closely monitored, and in many cases a protective spray should beapplied." It was found on burley. "But I would imagine that in some cases, fields of the other types--especially PA type 41 wrapper tobacco--should be sprayed," he says.

--Virginia: "We know of three cases of blue mold in central Virginia, all within 20 miles," says Chuck Johnson, Virginia Extension plant pathologist. "Hopefully, we'll not see any more. But we're watching. Many fields are at or are approaching topping, at which point leaves become less susceptible as they thicken and ripen."

--Tennessee: Blue mold was found in Carter County, Tn., in the northeast part of the state bordering North Carolina, on July 2, according to Melody Rose, Tennessee Extension agent in nearby Greene County. "That was actually during a dry spell when you don't expect blue mold," she says. Since then, a few spots have appeared here and there, usually in shady areas or by rivers. None appear threatening now, Rose believes, but topping is still a way off in east Tennessee.

DATES TO REMEMBER

July 21. Tennessee Tobacco Tour, AgResearch Education Ctr., Greeneville, Tn. Registration and a trade show start at 3 p.m. Tours start at 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. with a sponsored dinner at 7 p.m. Contact: 423-638-6532.
July 25-27. N.C. Tobacco Tour. Welcome reception begins at 6 p.m., Kings BBQ, Kinston, N.C., July 25. Tours begin July 26 at 8 a.m. (breakfast at 7:30 a.m.) at the Cunningham Research Station in Kinston and on July 27 at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station in Rocky Mount at 8 a.m. (breakfast at 7:30 a.m.). Farm visits both days in the afternoon. The tour will end in Oxford around 5 p.m. To register, go to tobacco.ces.ncsu.edu.
July 28. Corn, Soybean and Tobacco Field Day, University of Kentucky Research & Education Center, Princeton. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and tours run from 8 a.m. until noon. Sponsored lunch. Contact: Andy Bailey at 270-365-7541 Extn. 240.
August 2. Annual Tobacco Research Field Day. Southern Piedmont AREC, Blackstone, Va. Registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner. Tour will begin at 6 p.m. Contact: Margaret Kenny at 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu.
August 11. Tobacco Twilight Tour, Murray State University, Murray, Ky. Registration beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by field tour and supper. Contact: Andy Bailey at andybailey@uky.edu or 270-365-7541 Extn. 240.
August 8-9. Burley Tobacco Research Tour in Central Ky. August 8: Begins at the Plant and Soil Sciences Field Lab., 3250 Ironworks Pike, Lexington Ky., at 1 p.m. Dinner at 5:30. August 9: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. tour of test plots on grower farms in surrounding counties. Contact: Bob Pearce at 859-257-5110.

This is what happens when you get 14½ inches of rain in three days: The Upper Coastal Plain

Research Station in Rocky Mount, N.C., received had 9½ inches of rain on July 16 and five

inches on July 19. Photo: Dominic Reisig, NCSU.

WAY TOO MUCH RAIN

FOR MOST TOBACCO

BUT THE DEEP SOUTH IS HOT AND DRY

FLUE-CURED

NORTH CAROLINA: The Carolinas had better luck with rainfall than much of the Tobacco Belt. In some places, there was too much. "We had 9 ½ inches of rain on July 16 and five inches on July 19," says Clyde Bogle, research operations manager at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station in Rocky Mount, N.C. "Some was destroyed by rain and is not worth harvesting. The rain was accompanied by wind, and the tobacco got beat up pretty bad." But about 75 percent of the crop made it through the rain event and is doing well now, he thinks. "It looks like the tobacco we get to harvest will give a satisfactory yield. We have completed topping and sucker control, and priming should begin this week." Because of the rain and wind, it is expected to ripen faster than normal.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Tobacco harvest is well under way in the Pee Dee area of northern South Carolina. "We have a really good-looking crop now," says William Hardee, area Extension agronomy agent in Horry and Marion Counties. "It looks like it has good weight." Although much of the state has suffered from drought, Hardee says the tobacco area has been fortunate in getting adequate rainfall. "But it has been hot and dry most of the last two weeks. We are getting some heat stress now." There was some disease earlier but so far it has been contained. Most farmers are on their second cropping. The jury is still out on the quality of this crop, but Hardee thinks that a clearer picture should emerge in a couple of weeks.

GEORGIA-FLORIDA: Intense heat has affected the tobacco (all flue-cured) in Florida and Georgia. "We are still having 100 degree temperatures," says J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist who covers Florida also. "In Florida last week I saw leaf curing right on the stalk, especially near the edges of fields where trees suck water out of the soil." He says plants are drying up from the top down and will lose yield and quality. But there also a few "mudholes" where the rain seems not to have stopped. It has frequently been accompanied by wind and many plants have been blown over. USDA has estimated that 27 percent of the Georgia crop has been harvested, and Florida will certainly be ahead of that. In Candler County, Ga., just west of Savannah, Extension agent Chris Earls says farmers finished up the last of their tobacco harvest by July 31.

VIRGINIA: Harvesting has begun on the flue-cured crop, but there is still a lot topping to do. The biggest problem has been spotty rain the last month, says David Reed, Virginia Extension tobacco specialist. "We have some areas that have had too much water and some areas where farmers are irrigating. The flue-cured crop is going to be a late crop. I would estimate it at two weeks behind schedule." In southwest Virginia, the traditional burley-growing area, it has been very dry, and crop development there has been slowed as well. In Appomattox County, hot and dry conditions are taking their toll, says Bruce Jones, Extension tobacco agent. "Lower tobacco leaves on all three types are burning at margins." Some tobacco irrigation has begun as producers hope for rain, he says...Virginia's tobacco research field day will be held Tuesday at the Southern Piedmont AREC in Blackstone. For details, see Dates to Remember below.

BURLEY AND DARK

KENTUCKY: There's been "way too much rain" in the Bluegrass, says grower-warehouseman Jerry Rankin of Danville, Ky. "And much of our tobacco didn't need it," he says. "It has rained almost every day for the last two weeks." Some tobacco won't make it to the barn, perhaps in the eight percent range, he says. "Especially in the low-lying places." USDA estimates that about 24 percent (all types) has been topped.

BLACK PATCH: The dark-tobacco-producing area of western Kentucky and north central Tennessee have had way too much water this season. "We can't seem to miss a rain," says Andy Bailey, Extension dark tobacco specialist. "We had eight or nine days without rain toward the end of the month, but then we got two to three inches in two days right at the end, causing more water damage." Farmers got 12 inches to 20 inches in July, he says. The production loss may be up to 25 percent. Perhaps 40 percent has been topped.

TENNESSEE: The rain was excessive in July in much of middle Tennessee too, right up to the end of the month. Paul Hart, Extension agent in Robertson County, says some dark tobacco harvesting began two weeks ago--a little early--because of the weather. Leafspot and weather flecking have both been problems, he says. There has been wind damage leading to crooked stalks, a real problem if you're trying to get your sucker control chemical to run down the stalk, as dark growers do.

NORTH CAROLINA: Drought conditions prevailed for most of the summer in the burley-growing areas near Asheville. But in the last week of July, scattered thunderstorms brought heavy rain showers to some areas of Yancey County, says Stanley Holloway, county Extension agent. But other areas received very little. There were instances of as much as five inches of rain resulting in some minor flash flooding. Other areas received only a trace to half an inch. The effect on burley is yet to be seen.

ANOTHER OPINION ON AUCTIONS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I think auctions are the best marketing strategy tobacco farmers have ever had. If there was more auction marketing opportunities, then auction prices would probably yield a little better. For growers in my area (burley producers), the auction market is all we really have. Very few can get contracts, and those who do have to haul it many miles. I have only been offered a contract once in my life, and it involved hauling the tobacco eight hours away to a receiving station. I can stand to lose several cents a pound to save a trip like that. Almost all of our auction opportunities are gone now too. A way of life in my area is gone. Just a few of us are holding on. We used to have a warehouse on every corner, now we have flea markets as our only reminder. By the way, I think the unregulated free market is always best, and if I can produce tobacco cheap enough to sell at auction prices, then that is my constitutional right, and if a warehouse owner can make enough money to handle tobacco sales, then let him run his business. Let everybody grow their own crops and sell them where they will, and let the law of supply and demand take its course. It won't be fair and equitable to all growers otherwise. For those contract growers who wish that us wildcat producers would stop, you can push us out of business, call your contracting company, and beg it to drop the price per pound they are paying you, and our prices at the auction will drop as well to follow suit, and we'll be forced to quit.

Rob Wurth, N.C.

DATES TO REMEMBER

August 2. Annual Tobacco Research Field Day. Southern Piedmont AREC, Blackstone, Va. Registration begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner. Tour will begin at 6 p.m. Contact: Margaret Kenny at 434-292-5331 or makenny@vt.edu.
August 11. Tobacco Twilight Tour, Murray State University, Murray, Ky. Registration beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by field tour and supper. Contact: Andy Bailey at andybailey@uky.edu or 270-365-7541 Extn. 240.
August 8-9. Burley Tobacco Research Tour in Central Ky. August 8: Begins at the Plant and Soil Sciences Field Lab., 3250 Ironworks Pike, Lexington Ky., at 1 p.m. Dinner at 5:30. August 9: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. tour of test plots on grower farms in surrounding counties. Ends Contact: Bob Pearce at 859-257-5110.

In N.C., USDA estimated flue-cured production down four percent, in part because of situations like this. This field of flue-cured at the research station in Oxford, N.C., was planted very late thanks to a rainy spring. The last of it went in the first week of June, at least two weeks late. Then came more some connected with strong winds that blew over stalks. About half the stalks in this field had been blown down and had to be stood back up.

USDA released its August projection of tobacco production August 12. At this point, South Carolina appears to be enjoying the best conditions and is expected to produce 28 percent more than a year ago. North Carolina flue-cured is projected to down four percent. All the other flue-cured states are expected to be up a small amount. All but two of the burley states in the survey are projected to be up a bit. North Carolina is projected down 17 percent. Following: Production projections plus estimated change by state from 2015.

FLUE-CURED: North Carolina--363 million pounds, down four per cent. Virginia--50.4 million pounds, up two percent. South Carolina--33.35 million pounds, up 28 percent. Georgia--29.7 million pounds, down eight percent. All U.S.-- 476.4 million pounds, down two per cent. BURLEY: Kentucky--114 million pounds, up nine percent. Tennessee--21 million pounds, up two percent. Pennsylvania--11 million pounds, up two percent. North Carolina--1.5 million pounds, down 17 percent. Virginia--2.3 million pounds, down two percent. All U.S.--149.9 million pounds, up 3.6 percent. SO. MARYLAND: Pennsylvania-- 3.8 million pounds, up nine per cent. FIRE-CURED: Kentucky--25.6 million pounds, down 19 per cent. Tennessee--22.2 million pounds down seven percent. Virginia--550 thousand pounds, down four percent. All U.S.--48.4 million pounds, down eight percent. DARK AIR-CURED: Kentucky--11.2 million pounds, down 18 per cent. Tennessee--3.2 million pounds, down one percent. All U.S. 14.5 million pounds, down 15 percent. CIGAR FILLER:Pennsylvania Seedleaf--3.7 million pounds, no change. ALL U.S. TOBACCO--697 million pounds, down three percent.

ANOTHER OPINION ON AUCTIONS

Just because tobacco is rejected at the receiving station does not mean that the tobacco is inferior. I have found that this decision--tobacco being rejected--is based on several factors, [among them] supply, and also the ability of tobacco companies to purchase that same grade in other parts of the world for a cheaper price. We all remember 1996 and Hurricane Fran. I saw tobacco purchased on the auction floor that was at one time stored, over ten years old and rotten, for a $1.96 a pound, top price then. The demand was so great that year, quality did not make a difference. The same holds true today. It is not a quality issue, rather it is a supply/demand issue. Is supply abundant? More tobacco rejected. Is supply short? Less tobacco rejected. The criteria for grading tobacco changes with supply and demand, not quality.

Tom Blair, Virginia

BIG M TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

1723 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson, N.C.,

in the old Liberty Warehouse

Mann Mullen is the owner of Big M auction warehouse in Wilson, N.C.

We hold sealed bid auctions

We promise

HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY

SERVICE

We will be GAP certified

For more information, contact Mann Mullen at 919-496-9033

or the warehouse switchboard at 252-206-1447.

Email: shrimpmann@embarqmail.com.

FARMERS TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

209 Harding St., Danville, Ky.

PH: 859-236-4932

Full-service burley warehouse

Jerry Rankin, Owner

Call for information.

Virginia dark fire-cured tobacco appeared to have weathered the intense late-summer heat and has good prospects for yield and quality. But in the major dark-producing region of western Kentucky and north central Tennessee, the situation was quite different. PHOTO: This field was on display at the August 2 field day at the Southern Piedmont research station at Blackstone, Va.

BLACK PATCH--The dark crop in western Kentucky and north central Tennessee is having a hard time. Much of it had to be harvested early, says Andy Bailey, Extension dark tobacco specialist. "It was wet so long. All the black shank came at once when it finally got a little dry three weeks ago. Some fields with non-resistant varieties collapsed." In July, some places had 24 inches of rain. In August, some had 10 to 12 inches. The results were bad. "Production will be down 20 percent below original estimates, although that could be affected if substantial acres were planted beyond contracts." Throughout the season, dark tobacco in Tennessee suffered slightly less stringent weather extremes. "The crop there is better than in Kentucky for sure," say Bailey. Ironically, the burley that is grown in the Black Patch suffered more than the dark types, he adds.

VIRGINIA (Dark)--Robert Mills of Callands, Va., near Danville, finished harvesting his dark fire-cured four days ago. Some of it has been in the barn for three weeks. Normally he would "fire" the barns after 10 days, but he has fired nothing so far so as not to lower the humidity in the barns. "To this point, the dark tobacco looks real good," says Mills.

TENNESSEE--Despite a tough growing season, the burley crop in east Tennessee and neighboring areas of Virginia and North Carolina has done "surprisingly well" this season, says Don Fowlkes, manager of agronomy for the Burley Stabilization Corporation cooperative. He is expecting a close to average overall crop if a decent curing season is experienced. "The crop has suffered from lack of rain. It has been hot and dry for the most part. Two weeks ago we had a general rain, but it wasn't enough, and some areas will not fare well"... Much of middle Tennessee got too much precipitation. "Finally, a week without rain," said Ronnie Barron, Tn. Extension agent in Cheatham County near Nashville on August 28. "Tobacco harvest is in full swing."

KENTUCKY--Burley condition varies drastically between regions, says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. "Central Kentucky has a fairly good crop, but southern Kentucky has had a hard time with drowned tobacco and frogeye leafspot." There is a lot of concern about the possibility of frogeye leafspot resistance to Quadris, he says. "Some growers who applied Quadris did not get the level of control they expected. But there may be other explanations and so far, we have not confirmed any resistance yet." Perhaps 30 to 40 percent of the burley has been harvested, he says. "I suspect our average yield will be below average," Pearce says.

FLORIDA AND GEORGIA--"Nothing special but a good crop." That seems to be the assessment of the Deep South flue-cured as harvest winds down. J. Michael Moore, Extension tobacco specialist for these two states, says, "We still have tobacco in the fields, and it is all ripe. Everyone agrees that finishing harvest would be very timely. More than a quarter is still in the field." The farmers are moving as fast as they can, but there may be a delay as a result of Tropical Storm Hermine, which is expected to cross over the tobacco-growing area. It might bring needed rain, but for most of the crop, that will probably be too late to be much help. The leaf at the Type 14 markets seems to be a little darker than in recent years, probably because farmers have been trying to produce ripe yellow leaf for the China market. Not much lemon leaf is being produced this season, but Moore says Chinese buyers seem to like the orange to light orange tobacco that is coming to market. "Overripe is in demand and bringing the high dollar," says Moore.

SOUTH CAROLINA--It appears they have a fair crop, but farmers in South Carolina have to be disappointed about what could have been. "The crop got off to a very good start. It was well above average in quality," says William Hardee, S.C. Extension agronomy agentfor Horry and Marion Counties. "But then we had two or three weeks of 100-degree temperatures and not much rainfall. We got heat stress and that was followed by bacterial wilt and some black shank." Now there is a lot of sun-baked tobacco, especially in the top of the plant. Harvest will be finished in one or two weeks, Hardee says.

NORTH CAROLINA--In the East, farmers are scrambling to get their flue-cured out of the field, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "Most fields have what might be two primings left, but farmers will probably try to get it all in one." Parts of the Piedmont are in worse shape. "Some there are just finishing their first harvest," says Vann. "That is scary late. For this tobacco, the farmers will need to harvest fromOctober 5 to October 20. That leaves us with at most 45 days till first frost." Some Piedmont farmers didn't complete transplanting till the first two weeks of June. "That is a red flag. They need to get it out by the first week of October but may not make it. Frost can come noticeably sooner than in the east."

VIRGINIA--Flue-cured in Virginia looks pretty good, although it could still use some rain, says Bill Scruggs of the Virginia Department of Agriculture. "We are probably 10 days behind over all." Much of the crop was planted relatively late. "We are probably 10 days behind overall" ... Mills, the grower from Callands, Va., says there was too much rain early, then excessive heat. "Now there is not a lot of water," he says. "But we could have a good flue-cured crop if we can finish it."

A new auction in N.C.--The Horizon Ltd. Tobacco warehouse began holding sealed bid auctions at its location at 1705 Cargill Ave. in Wilson on August 17. Through the end of August, it had held four sales and sold roughly a half million pounds. Through the season, Horizon will be selling every Wednesday and also on Mondays if the supply warrants. For more information, call warehouse owner Kenneth Kelly at 252 292 8822.

Other auction warehouses currently operating include (with contact phone numbers):

Big M Warehouse, Wilson, N.C., 919 496 9033; and
Old Belt Tobacco Sales, Rural Hall, N.C. (near Winston-Salem), 336 416 6262.

If you know of any other companies auctioning flue-cured this season, please share the information with Editor Chris Bickers at 919 789 4631. A list of burley auctions will appear here later.

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The flue-cured crop in the Southside of Virginia was coming off well as the second full week of September began. This crew was harvesting on the David Buchanan farm near Skipwith, just north of the border with North Carolina.

FLUE-CURED

VIRGINIA--This was one year when it really paid to irrigate in the Southside. "It was beautiful for a while but it turned off dry," says Keith Brankley of Skipwith. "We are irrigating now to keep it from burning up in the field." He expects yield will fall short of average, but the heat wasn't the main culprit. "We may be five to 10 percent short on pounds, because we had

Solar heat collected by a new solar barn helped David Buchanan save money on curing flue tobacco this season.

a lot of spots that got too much water." Green color from sunbaking isn't helping either. His brother-in-law and neighbor, David Buchanan, has passed the halfway point on harvest (see photo above). He is optimistic he will finish the first week of October, but many of his neighbors in Mecklenburg County have much farther to go. An early killing frost could cause real damage. In Lunenburg County, just north of Skipwith, heat is still the problem. "We've had some cooler days here and there, but it is still hot and dry overall," says Lindy Tucker, Extension agriculture agent. In adjacent Brunswick County, 'dry, humid and hot' best described the weather last week, says Cynthia Gregg, Extension agriculture agent. "Tobacco is yellowing quickly in the fields." USDA estimated that 52 percent of Virginia flue-cured had been harvested by the beginning of this week.

One way to cut curing costs: Buchanan bought a solar curing barn for this season, and the results have been good. "It is a Long Solar Eagle, and it uses a built-in solar collector to save fuel," he says. "It yellows more evenly due to heat from the collector on the top and sides. It seems I save about a day in curing." Long of Tarboro, N.C., will have Solar Eagles to sell this fall. "The Solar Eagle reduces fuel cost by 'actively' drawing fresh air for curing through the barn's integral solar collector where it is pre-heated before it reaches the barn's heat exchanger," says Bob Pope, general manager of Long Tobacco Barns. "This reduces the load on the barn's gas-fired burner, whether it be propane or natural gas." The barn's solar collector also transfers heat 'passively' to the curing chamber by direct conduction through its collector plate. Pope notes that a federal tax credit is available that reduces the cost of the Solar Eagle to less than that of a standard barn. For more information, call Long at 252 641 4796.

SOUTH CAROLINA--Much of the state's tobacco received heavy rains as a result of Hurricane Hermine. In Horry, S.C.'s largest leaf county, six+ plus inches of rain fell on September 2. The rain was needed but it brought harvest to a halt for much of last week. USDA estimates that about seven percent of S.C. tobacco remains to be picked.

NORTH CAROLINA--Tropical storm rains were a welcome event where they fell at the beginning of September. "Tobacco was in dire need of moisture," says Don Nicholson, N.C. Department of Agriculture regional agronomist. "There was little damage from the winds accompanying the storm." But conditions were so dry that more rain is direly needed now, he adds... Tobacco has matured earlier than normal in Harnett County this year and is not holding well, says Brian Parrish, county Extension agent. "Farmers are stripping tobacco fields, and this is putting pressure on the limited barn space available." Harvest will likely be finished by or before the end of September, he says...In Oxford, stripping of the remaining crop will probably begin next week, says Carl Watson, tobacco research specialist with the N.C. Department of Agriculture tobacco research station there. "The tobacco is deteriorating from all the sunshine"...USDA estimates that 73 percent of N.C. flue-cured has been harvested.

BURLEY

KENTUCKY--Farmers had harvested 57 percent of the crop by September 11, according to USDA. "Farmers have concerns over labor shortages for harvesting tobacco, as well as disease impacts and resulting weights," it added.

TENNESSEE--Hot and dry conditions last week allowed farmers to make great head-way with harvest, USDA reported. Tobacco producers cut an additional 16 percent more tobacco since last week with nearly half the crop now harvested. "Almost all of my tobacco producers are either done cutting or have started and close to finishing up," says Keith Jacob Boone, Extension agent in Hancock County in upper east Tennessee.

NORTH CAROLINA--About 50 percent of the burley crop in Yancey County in western N.C. had been cut by September 11, says Stanley Holloway, county Extension agent. For the state as a whole, USDA estimated that 34 percent had been harvested, well below the five-year average of 57 percent.

VIRGINIA--Burley harvest is well under way in Scott County in southwest Virginia. County agent Scott Jerrell said that through September 6, the crop appeared average... In nearby Grayson County, last week was a great week for harvest activities thanks to the lack of rain and hot temperatures, says county Extension Kevin Spurlin.

In other tobacco news...

Projections hold steady: USDA released its September projection of tobacco production on September 12. The volumes projected have changed only slightly for flue-cured and less than three percent for burley since the previous projection, on August 12.

Flue-Cured: The September projections for the individual states are all the same or substantially the same as August's except for South Carolina, which is down 2.2 million pounds. The projection for all states is 474.1 million pounds, down 2.3 million pounds from a month ago.
Burley: The two leading states have declined since the August estimate by five million pounds-three million in Kentucky and two million in Tennessee. Pennsylvania increased slightly and Virginia and North Carolina were roughly the same. No other burley state participates in USDA surveys. The projection for these states is 145.7 million pounds, down 4.2 million pounds from a month ago.
Fire-Cured is down 2.5 million pounds from a month ago at 45.9 million pounds;
Dark Air-Cured is down 1.2 million pounds at 13.3 million pounds;
Pennsylvania Seedleaf is slightly above the last estimate at 3.8 million pounds;
Southern Maryland is unchanged from last month, also at 3.8 million pounds.

FLUE-CURED

Solar heat collected by a new solar barn helped David Buchanan save money on curing flue tobacco this season.

BURLEY

In other tobacco news...

Flue-Cured: The September projections for the individual states are all the same or substantially the same as August's except for South Carolina, which is down 2.2 million pounds. The projection for all states is 474.1 million pounds, down 2.3 million pounds from a month ago.
Burley: The two leading states have declined since the August estimate by five million pounds-three million in Kentucky and two million in Tennessee. Pennsylvania increased slightly and Virginia and North Carolina were roughly the same. No other burley state participates in USDA surveys. The projection for these states is 145.7 million pounds, down 4.2 million pounds from a month ago.
Fire-Cured is down 2.5 million pounds from a month ago at 45.9 million pounds;
Dark Air-Cured is down 1.2 million pounds at 13.3 million pounds;
Pennsylvania Seedleaf is slightly above the last estimate at 3.8 million pounds;
Southern Maryland is unchanged from last month, also at 3.8 million pounds.

After the deluge: This flue-cured grower in the N.C. Piedmont near Winston-Salem had trouble completing combining after late-season rains. "All crops that were either ready for harvest or being harvested are in a state of decline due to the length of it raining," said Robin Watson, NCDA regional agronomist stationed in Burlington.

How much South Carolina tobacco was lost to the flood? The small amount (all flue-cured) that remained in the field when the storm complex arrived on October 1 is now probably a complete loss, said Tré Coleman, S.C. Department of Agriculture marketing specialist. "I don't know if any can be salvaged," he told Tobacco Farmer Newsletter. "It was not only the rain--we had high winds for two days afterward that whipped the stalks. And it might be 10 days (from October 5) before fields are dry enough to get back in. I would be surprised if any more can be harvested."

Losses will be limited in S.C., however, because no more than one to two percent of the state's 27-million-pound crop remained on the stalk when the rain started falling, according to Coleman. And what was left was in poor condition because of diseases. "We'd had perfect disease weather the last week or 10 days of September," said William Hardee, area Extension agronomy agent for Horry and Marion Counties. "There was bad bacterial wilt along with the sunscald that we'd had earlier." So even without the rain, the yield might have been very low. In some of the other states where tobacco was affected:

In North Carolina, flooding was not as extensive as in S.C. But there was much more rain than was desired. In the east, near Kinston, Alton Roberson was very glad he had finished harvesting before the end of September. "But right much was still in the field, and in the growers' opinions, they couldn't finish harvesting quick enough," he said. There was a great fear that leaf would turn to trash on the stalk if it stayed out too long. In north central N.C., farmers received "welcomed but excessive rains," said Robin Watson, N.C. Department of Agriculture regional agronomist stationed in Burlington. "Tobacco farmers are having a difficult time in getting their tobacco out of the field," he said. "All crops that were either ready for harvest or being harvested are in a state of decline due to the length of it raining."

In Virginia, Cynthia Gregg, Extension agent in Brunswick County, Va, in thesouthern part of the state, said minor flooding and ponding of water in pastures and crop fields were evident across the county. "Some tobacco fields have been stripped. Others still have some tips to be harvested. These fields are showing damage due to the excess rainfall." In Lunenburg County, about 50 miles west of Brunswick, some tobacco was pulled the week ending October 4, said Lindy Tucker, Extension agent. "Otherwise, no one was in the field."

October Crop Report: Volumes continue to slide, says USDA. The October projection for tobacco production (released October 9) puts flue-cured volume at 468 million pounds, a million pounds more than it estimated in September but 18 percent less than last year. It projected burley production at 152 million pounds, five million pounds less than it estimated in August and 29 percent less than last year. Among the individual states:

FLUE-CURED

North Carolina--365.5 million pounds, down 19 percent.
Virginia--48.3 million pounds, down 10 percent.
South Carolina--27.1 million pounds, down percent
Georgia--27.3 million pounds, down 20 percent.

BURLEY

Kentucky--114 million pounds, down 30 percent.
Tennessee--19.2 million pounds, down 29 percent.
Pennsylvania--11.2 million pounds, down 11.5 percent.
Ohio--3.3 million pounds, down 22 percent.
Virginia--2.1 million pounds, down 26 percent.
North Carolina--two million pounds, down 23 percent.

OTHER TYPES

Fire-cured--56.9 million pounds, down three percent.
Dark air-cured--17.6 million pounds, down one percent.
Connecticut/Massachusetts cigar types--4.1 million pounds, down one percent.
Southern Maryland--3.6 million pounds, down 21 percent.
Pennsylvania seedleaf--2.9 million pounds, down 21 percent.

Editor: Chris Bickers.903-9 Shellbrook Ct. Raleigh, N.C. 27609.

chrisbickers@gmail.com.919 789 4631.

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BIG M TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

1723 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson, N.C.,

in the old Liberty Warehouse

Greg Goins is the auctioneer at Big M Warehouse.

We hold sealed bid auctions

We promise

HONEST AND TRUSTWORTHY

SERVICE

We will be GAP certified

For more information, contact Mann Mullen at 919-496-9033

or the warehouse switchboard at 252-206-1447.

Email: shrimpmann@embarqmail.com.

How burley bloomed in the Blue Ridge

For an easy-to-read account of how burley came to east Tennessee and western North Carolina in the late 1800s, along with oral history interviews with some of the best of the older generation burley farmers, and much more, order The History of Burley Tobacco in East Tennessee & Western North Carolina by Billy Yeargin and Christopher Bickers. Send a check for $25 to Chris Bickers, 903-9 Shellbrook Ct., Raleigh, N.C. 27609. Questions? Contact Bickers at 919 789 4631or via email at chrisbickers@gmail.com.

FARMERS TOBACCO WAREHOUSE

209 Harding St., Danville, Ky.

PH: 859-236-4932

Full-service burley warehouse

Jerry Rankin, Owner

Call for information.

A quarter or more of Virginia flue-cured remained to be harvested on October 1. Here, workers put leaf in balers on a farm near Skipwith, Va.

FLUE-CURED

GEORGIA & FLORIDA--The last of Georgia's tobacco was expected to be harvested by today. Florida's harvest was finished several weeks ago. Serious problems were experienced with tomato spotted wilt virus and black shank this season. But J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist, says this was not the worst season for Deep South tobacco. He estimates that Georgians might average 2,100 pounds per acre on 13,000 acres, putting production in the range of 27 million pounds. Floridians may have averaged 2,600 pounds per acre on around 1,500 acres. for about four million pounds production...This was one of the worst years for tomato spotted wilt virus in the last 10, says Moore. The likely cause: favorable conditions in the spring for plants that serve as host plants for thrips, which spread spotted wilt.

SOUTH CAROLINA--All South Carolina's tobacco has been harvested, says William Hardee, S.C. area Extension agronomy agent for Horry and Marion Counties. Most was finished the last full week of September. It has been wet. "It seemedwe had a

monthwhen we were dry and then a month when we had nothing but rain." The rain was less of a problem because most was out of the fields when it started. The heat, on the other hand, brought on diseases. "Bacte-rial wilt was the big problem, along with black shank," he says. He adds that it appears the quality will be decent.

NORTH CAROLINA--Harvest continues at a very fast pace, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "It is extremely fast ripening, and now we are backed up against first frost." Hurricane Hermine and the rains that followed it caused some 'green up' in the east because plants got access to nitrogen, he says. "That might interfere with ripening, but on the other hand, it might lead to a little more holdability." The Piedmont got very little rain as a result of the hurricane and tropical storms, he says.

VIRGINIA--A quarter or more of the Virginia flue-cured crop remained to be harvested on October 1. "Parts of this crop are going to be very late," says David Reed, Virginia Extension tobacco specialist. "It had been very dry. We have had rain over the

entire tobacco area over the last 10 days, and now our tobacco is responding to the rain. Farmers will be hoping for a late frost." Production might closely approach the con-tracted poundage if farmers can harvest it all. The quality so far looks good... The intense mid May rains in the Piedmont that brought transplanting to a temporary halt really caused farmers a management problem: They had what was essentially two different crops--an early one and a late one. "Farmers found themselves having to cultivate one field and top another and prime still another, all at the same time," says Reed...The north end of the tobacco belt seemed to have had better luck with the weather, said Chris Brown, Franklin Co. Extension agent. “We got rain most of the season. Our crop looks good.”

BURLEY

KENTUCKY--A very hot and dry September made it difficult to harvest in the Bluegrass, and cutting and hanging was moving slowly in much of the state. Jerry Rankin, a grower and owner of Farmers Tobacco Warehouse in Danville, estimates that perhaps 80 percent of the burley crop is in the barn. "We will be short of what the trade needs, maybe by 25 percent," he says. "We had one rain in August, then it was dry until we had a few showers last week. This is a thin crop." He noticed that when you cut tobacco one day and left it in the field, it would burn by the next day. "It dang near 'field cured'," he says. The first tobacco he cut is nearly done, and he plans on starting stripping the day he finishes harvest.

TENNESSEE--From 90 to 95 percent of the Tennessee burley crop has been harvested, says Don Fowlkes, manager for agronomy for Burley Stabilization Corporation. "Despite the dry weather, the curing is mostly okay so far in East Tennessee. Some is a good solid color already. But we have a lot of disease in the lower stalk positions." It was dry the whole season long but the crop could still turn out well. Market preparation could get going in earnest soon. Fowlkes knows of one farmer in southeastern Tennessee who started stripping last week. He is the first one Fowlkes has heard about. In middle Tennessee, there was so much rain in the early season to late July, then it got dry in August. The leaf is more thin bodied and the tips are ragged. The quality will be better in the upstalk rather than downstalk.

NORTH CAROLINA--Cutting and hanging in western N.C. seems to be complete, but no one is stripping yet. "It has been extremely dry," says Stanley Holloway, N.C. Extension burley coordinator. "But the crop was deep rooted so when it got some rains late in the season, it responded well. Now, it has ended up a pretty decent crop." But there could be a danger of flash curing if it continues dry," he says.

DARK

BLACK PATCH--Harvest of dark fired and dark air in Kentucky and Tennessee is almost over. "We are all but done," says Andy Bailey, Ky./Tn. Extension dark tobacco specialist. "The few remaining fields will be harvested this week." Quite a bit of this tobacco had to be harvested early because of angular leafspot and bacterial soft rot. "This is the worst crop I have seen in the 14 years I have been here in Princeton, Ky.," Bailey says. "We will probably fall 25 percent short of our potential." But the quality of the cured tobacco, which is just now being stripped, looks satisfactory.

VIRGINIA--Harvest of dark fire-cured was complete in September, with curing reportedly proceeding well. But it was a tough season. In Appomattox County, conditions were excessively wet through layby. "Then the rain stopped," says county Extension agent Bruce Jones. The drought wasn't broken until September 19. It was the first substantial rainfall in over two months.

Burnt tails, green butts--You saw a lot of this late in the season in North Carolina, thanks mainly to a period of intense dry heat.

The tobacco season of 2016 came to nearly its end with a really big storm when Hurricane Matthew blew through on October 8. The leaf that was still out there was subjected to torrential rains and whipping winds and worse, flooding later. But not much was left in the most affected state, North Carolina. And not any was still out in South Carolina, Georgia or Florida. The only state that still has significant tobacco in the field, Virginia, suffered much less damage from the storm.

Matthew damage minimal: In North Carolina, the effects of Hurricane Matthew on tobacco in the coastal plain were minimal, says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "We had advanced warning, and farmers made a mad dash to get their tobacco out before it arrived. I don't think we will wind up seeing much loss from the hurricane." A few farmers reported losses in the barn because of power outages and the wet conditions ..."Only about one percent of the crop was still in the field," says Vann. Fortunately, there has been no early frost, he says, and the weather since the hurricane has been very mild. So the rest of the crop should be harvested very soon ...In the Piedmont, the hurricane caused even less damage. "We are seeing that the quality of the late crop there has been better than we might have expected," he says. Flue-cured growers will have an acceptable average yield, says Vann, but he thinks total production in the state may not reach the 346 million pounds that USDA projected last week. "It could be as low as 325 million pounds," he says.

No significant flooding: In Virginia, the rain was steady and prolonged in the 48 hours associated with Matthew. "We got five to seven inches in Pittsylvania County," says Stephen Barts, Extension agriculture agent for the county. "But there wasno significant flooding. We didn't have the standing water they had in North Carolina." The main effect was that Virginians lost three or four days in the field at a time when they could ill afford it. Now, he calculates that about a quarter of the farmers in his area still have tobacco in the field, and some still have a way to go before finishing it. "We may see some harvested on November 1, if Jack Frost doesn't get it first," he says. "But most should be finished this week and most of the rest the next week, again depending on frost."

Burley states warm and dry: In Kentucky and Tennessee, the problem has been unseasonably warm weather and extended drought. "For all practical purposes we have finished harvest," says Bob Pearce, Kentucky Extension tobacco specialist. "Labor has been the main issue. It's been a struggle for some to get this crop hung. But there is very little burley out there now that is still worth harvesting." The earliest planted crop is curing real well, he says. But there are some concerns about the later crop. It was deteriorating in the field. "Because of the warm October, we may not have too much green. But the late-harvested burley may be brighter than we like." Yields will be below average, and Pearce thinks USDA has overestimated U.S. burley production. "I don't think we will reach 143 million pounds. I think 125 million pounds is more realistic" ... It has been very dry in Tennessee too. "We are the driest I have ever seen in Knox County in October in the 25 years I have lived here," says Neal Denton, Knox County Extension agent ...In southwest Virginia, rain from the hurricane provided some moisture. But it was very sporadic, says Scott Jerrell, Extension agent in Scott County.

USDA OCTOBER CROP REPORT

FLUE-CURED

North Carolina--346.5 million pounds, down 8.4 percent. Yield 2,100 pounds.
Virginia--52.8 million pounds, up 6.8 percent. Yield 2,400 pounds.
South Carolina--31 million pounds, up 19 percent. Yield 2,300 pounds
Georgia--29.7 million pounds, minus 8.4 percent. Yield 2,200 pounds.
U.S.--460 million pounds, down 5.3 percent. Yield 2,150 pounds.

FIRE-CURED

Kentucky--22.8 million pounds, down 28 percent. Yield 2,400 pounds.
Tennessee--18.5 million pounds, down 22.2 percent. Yield 2,650 pounds.
Virginia--594,000 pounds, up 3.3 percent. Yield 2,200 pounds.
U.S.--41.9 million pounds, down 25.3 percent. Yield 2,501 pounds.

BURLEY

Kentucky--110.2 million pounds, up 5.6 percent. Yield 1,750 pounds.
Tennessee--17.4 million pounds, down 19.4 percent. Yield 1,450 pounds.
Pennsylvania--11.5 million pounds, up 6.5 percent. Yield 2,400 pounds.
Virginia--2.1 million pounds, down 10.1 percent. Yield 1,800 pounds. 88h
North Carolina--1.7 million pounds, down 8.1 percent. Yield 1,900 pounds.
U.S.--143 million pounds, down 1.1 percent. Yield 1,747 pounds.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND

Pennsylvania--3.8 million pounds, up nine percent. Yield 2,400 pounds.

DARK AIR-CURED

Kentucky--8.6 million pounds, down 37.1 percent. Yield 1,800 pounds.
Tennessee--2.76 million pounds, down 18.1 percent. Yield 2,300 pounds.
U.S.--11.4 million pounds, down 33.1 percent. Yield 1,900 pounds.

PENNSYLVANIA SEEDLEAF

Pennsylvania--3.84 million pounds, up two percent. Yield 2,400 pounds.

ALL TOBACCO

664 million pounds, down seven percent. Yield 2,063 pounds.

Burley wilting on sticks in the field before transportation to curing barns. This file photo was taken in Macon County, Tn., near Nashville, in October 2014.

Burley production will fall well below USDA's original expectation, which was about 150 million pounds. Steve Pratt, general manager of the Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association in Lexington, Ky., says it might end as low as 110 million pounds. His counterpart in Springfield, Tn., Daniel Green, chief executive officer of Burley Stabilization Corporation, says, "If I had to guess, I would say around 120 million pounds beltwide. I don't think it will be any more than that." The USDA is more optimistic: In its most recent projection, dated October 12, the figure was 143 million pounds.

Way too much water: For burley growers, 2016 will be remembered as the year of too much water. "Much of the season was exceptionally wet for burley growers," says Green. "A lot of burley had to be bush hogged because of water damage. Then about the time it finally dried out, the weather turned exceptionally dry." There will be a

relative shortage of lower stalk leaf because much fell off in the field as a result of the wet weather, he says. In many cases, the rest of the stalk was affected by fungal diseases. The upperstalk may not have as much of the brown to red color buyers like. "We will likely see a lot of bright color resulting from the dry curing season," says Green.

Perhaps a third of the burley crop in Tennessee has been stripped, says Green... Burley cured in outside curing structures seem to have produced some of the better-colored leaf so far this year, perhaps because the leaf has been exposed to more ground moisture, says Green... Some farmers in Kentucky couldn't get their burley in the barns fast enough, says Pratt. "It was starting to cure out when they cut it. They couldn't wilt it as long as they wanted"...Central Kentucky on the whole had better weather than western Kentucky which received more rain, says Pratt...East Tennessee had dry weather much of the season, says Eric Walker, Extension tobacco specialist. "A lot of the tobacco was adversely affected by disease, and some was significantly hurt by dry weather. But some did get timely rains and looked pretty good."

This year's burley should sell well. But will demand go unmet? Demand for American burley has been estimated at 150 million pounds, and there will definitely be a shortfall. But both burley cooperatives and most leaf companies dealing in burley have inventory left from previous crops, says Green. "The inventories could


	A worker stacks boxes of burley in the BSC warehouse in Springfield, Tn.

mostly cover the shortfall." Certain stalk positions may be hard to find, including tips, red-leaf and flyings, he says. Another reason for scarcity--the short burley crop in the U.S. is following a short burley crop in South America.

Bitter truth for flue-cured growers: Nobody likes sunbaked leaf. Flue-cured growers generally got their crop planted last spring in good order (though Piedmont growers had to plant around periods of rain and wound up with some of their production planted very late). The season was going well until extreme rain affected middle growth, followed by day after day of 95-degree temperatures. "That sunbaked the top of the plant, and unfortunately for us, no one wants sunbaked leaf," says one observer. Foliar diseases were a big problem, also.

Still taking flue-cured: Two of the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative marketing centers are still receiving leaf: the La Crosse, Va., facility, which will finish on November 9, and the Kernersville, N.C., facility, which will finish on November 11.

New varieties from Rickards--Rickard Seeds is introducing three new flue-cured varieties this season: PVH 1600 features dual resistance to black shank Race 1 and 0 compounded with Granville wilt resistance. PVH 2254 features resistance to Granville wilt, TMV and dual resistance to black shank Race 1 and 0. It is a high-yielding, late-season variety that has gained worldwide popularity. NC 938 is the newest variety from N.C. State University's breeding program and features high yields, black shank Race 1 and 0 resistance, and intermediate Granville wilt resistance. It will be jointly marketed with the other major seed producers.

DATE TO REMEMBER

December 1. N.C. Tobacco Day 2016. Johnston County Extension Center, 2736 N.C. Hwy. 210, Smithfield, N.C. Meeting starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends with lunch.

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Bales of flue-cured on the floor of Old Belt Sales warehouse in Rural Hall, N.C., right after the last sale of the season on November 22.

Glad its all over: The flue-cured market came to what was for all practical purposes
the end of its season on November 22 when the Old Belt Warehouse in Rural Hall, 
N.C., held its last 2016 auction. Much of the offerings at that sale and the one
 held the week before was sunbaked and drew a low price. But until that late-season
slide, the price had held up pretty well, says  warehouse manager Dennis White. 
"We averaged somewhere around $1.60 a pound, which was comparable to contract prices."
he says. He estimated the practical top at $1.80 a pound. His farmers seemed satisfied
at the auction performance as a whole.


The Piedmont got off to a terrible start when spring rains created what was in effect
an early crop and a late crop...and the early crop got much the better growing conditions.
"We wound up with 62 days of 95 degree plus temperatures, and that weighed very 
heavily on the later planted tobacco," says White. "The quality may have been as
 bad as 1977 or maybe worse."

Getting updated on good agricultural practices: GAP Connections (GAPC) farmer meetings
begin in early January. Some dates have already been set (see below). "The meetings
will be conducted in cooperation with the state Extension programs, as local meetings
or as part of other regular events such as trade shows, association meetings and
company meetings," says Paul Denton of the GAP staff. "Training will cover crop
management, environmental management and labor management--specific to the needs
of growers in the area--with a short update on GAPC programs and activities."
Does "GAP Certified" mean anything? The phrase GAP Certified has appeared from time
to time since the training sessions first began, including advertising ap-pearing
in this publication. Auction warehouses used the phrase the first year to indicate
their full cooperation and especially their willingness to arrange GAP training
for growers who didn't have access to meetings, so that they can obtain certification.
Editor's Note: As far as I know, this never happened. That phrase should be eliminated. As Denton tells TFN, "There currently is no label
of 'GAP Certified' for farms following GAP standards. Even for those growers who
go through a third-party assessment, there is no score given and no designation
of passing or failing by GAPC." Contracting companies can require grower participation
in the program and affirm that their growers attend training and complete an assessment
if chosen. "But they cannot accurately say that their growers are 'GAP certified'
through GAPC because there is no true certification system in place," said Denton.

A followup report on international tobacco control: Despite attempts to bring their
concerns before the current negotiations on the Framework Convention for Tobacco
 Control (FCTC) in India last month (see the November II 2016 issue of TFN), leaders
of   the International Tobacco Growers Association (ITGA) say they have had little
success. "In spite of our efforts to open a line of communication with the FCTC 
Secretariat and our willingness to cooperate and share our members' vast experience
ITGA has been denied participation or even an audience with the delegates or the
 FCTC Secretariat," says Daniel Green, c.e.o. of Burley Stabilization Corporation
in Springfield, Tn., and new president of ITGA. "We will keep you informed on this
issue."


Outlook bleak for burley and dark: GAPC's Denton says his sources in Kentucky are
"really" pessimistic about the yield and quality of this year's offerings. "One 
dark representative thinks the dark-fired crop could be off by half, and the burley
growers I've talked to report yields in the 1,500-pound range," he says. "There 
is some concern about high color due to dry curing conditions." But reports from
 Ohio and Pennsylvania are much more optimistic, he says.


Burley supply and demand balance improved greatly over the past year, says Will 
Snell, Kentucky Extension economist,. That lead to "modest changes in U.S. burley
contract volume for 2016, following significant reductions in 2015," Snell says.  "Smaller crops in South America, Africa and the United States. coupled with a surprising
[though] modest increase in U.S. cigarette production in 2015 helped offset the adverse impacts of a strengthening dollar on U.S. burley international competitiveness."

A quick reduction in flue-cured inventories: Large global inventories of flue-cured
were problematic going into 2015 but had largely disappeared by 2016, says Blake
 Brown, N.C. Extension economist. The quick reduction was mostly due to excessive
rain in Brazil in 2016 that led to the smallest flue-cured crop in over a decade, at just over one billion pounds, according to Universal Leaf. That was down from
 1.26 billion pounds in 2015. Zimbabwe also experienced a smaller 2016 flue-cured crop because of severe drought during autumn 2015. Its production for 2016 was estimated
at 438 million pounds, down from 477 million pounds in 2015, according to the Zimbabwe
Tobacco Association.


DATES TO REMEMBER

* December 1. N.C. Tobacco Day 2016. Johnston County Extension Center, 2736 N.C.
 Hwy. 210, Smithfield, N.C. Meeting starts at 8:15 a.m. and ends with lunch.
* January 11-12. S.C. Agribiz and Farm Expo. Florence (S.C.) Civic Center.
* February 1-3. Southern Farm Show. N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C.
* February 3. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of N.C., Holshouser Bldg.,
N.C. State Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending with lunch (during Southern Farm
Show).


GAP RECERTIFICATION MEETINGS


North Carolina (Flue-Cured)

* January 4, 9 a.m. Martin County Farmers Market, 4001 West Main St., Williamston
NC. Lunch will be provided. DOL and WPS presentations will be at beginning of meeting.
Need 75 labor posters. Contact Al Cochran at al_cochran@ncsu.edu at 252-789-4370.
* January 6, 9 a.m. The Farmer's Market, 1006 Peachtree St., Rocky Mount NC. Contact
Art Bradley at art_bradley@ncsu.edu at-252-614-7815.
* January 10, 9 a.m. Johnston County Extension Center  2736 NC 210 Highway, Smithfield
NC. Contact Bryant Spivey at bryant_spivey@ncsu.edu 919-989-5380.
* January 11, 9 a.m. Wilson County Ag Center, 1806 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson NC 27893.
Contact Norman Harrell at norman_harrell@ncsu.edu  or 252-237-0111.
* January 12, 8:30 a.m. Forsyth County Extension Center, 1450 Fairchild Rd., Winston
Salem NC. Lunch provided. Contact Tim Hambrick or tim_hambrick@ncsu.edu or 336-703-2857.
* January 13, 8:30 a.m. Granville County Expo Center, 4185 US Highway 15, South 
Oxford NC. Contact Gary Cross at gwcross@ncsu.edu or 919-603-1350.
* January 18, 9 a.m. Wayne County Extension Center, 208 Chestnut St., Goldsboro 
NC. Contact Tyler Whaley at tyler_whaley@ncsu.edu or 919-731-1527.
* January 19, 9 a.m. Lenoir County Shrine Club, 1558 Hwy 70, East Kinston NC. Registration
begins at 8 a.m. Contract Mike Carroll or mike_carroll@ncsu.edu - 252-633-1477.
* January 20, 9 a.m. McSwain Extension Center, 2420 Tramway Rd., Sanford NC. Contact
Zack Taylor at zrtaylor@ncsu.edu. or919-775-5624  3455.
* January 23, 8 a.m. Caswell County Civic Center, 536 Main St., East Yanceyville
 NC. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Meeting will start at 9 a.m.. Lunch will be served.
Contact Joey E. Knight, III at joey_knight@ncsu.edu or 336-694-4158.
* January 24, 9 a.m. Harnett County Government Complex Commons Area 309 W. Cornelius
Harnett Blvd Lillington NC 27546 Registration begins at 8 a.m. Contact Brian Parrish
at brian_parrish@ncsu.edu or 910-8937530.
* January 25, 9 a.m. Sampson County Ag Expo Center 414 Warsaw Rd. Clinton NC. Contact
Della King at della_king@ncsu.edu or 910-592-7161.
* February 3, 1:30 p.m. Holshouser Bld., NC State Fair Grounds, Raleigh NC (in conjunction
with TGANC Annual Meeting during Southern Farm Show). Lunch will be provided. Contact
Matthew Vann at matthew_vann@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0904.


Virginia (Flue-cured)

* January 17, 9 a.m. Southern Piedmont Center, 2375 Darvills Rd., Blackstone VA 
Registration at 8:30 a.m. Contact Lindy Tucker at tucker07@vt.edu or 434-696-5526.
* January 18, 4 p.m. Meherrin River Hunt Club, 435 Dry Creek Rd., South Hill VA.
 Registration at 3:30 p.m. Contact Taylor Clarke at clarke@vt.edu or 434-738-6191.
* January 19, 4 p.m. Olde Dominion Ag Complex  19783 U. S. Highway 29, South Chatham
VA. Registration at 3:30 p.m. Contact Stephen Barts sbarts@vt.edu 434-432-7770  
3459
* January 25, 10 a.m. Scottsburg Volunteer Fire Dept., 3050 Scottsburg Rd., Scottsburg
VA. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Rebecca Slabach at cbrown04@ vt.edu 434-476-2147.
* February 15, 10 a.m. Midway Baptist Ch., Midway Rd., Phenix VA. Registration at
9:30 a.m. Contact Bob Jones at rojones2@vt.edu or 434-542-5884.



Piles of sawdust rest outside a fire-curing barn near Clarksville, Tn. Growing conditions
were abysmal in much of the dark tobacco area of central Tennessee and western Kentucky.

Burley sales sagging: About 65 percent of the burley crop has been marketed, and
auction warehouseman Jerry Rankin of Danville, Ky., says the market hasn't been
strong so far. At his warehouse, through his sale on Tuesday, December 20, he had
sold about a million pounds for an average of about $1.72 per pound. He calculated
that at about 10 cents per pound less than contract prices. None of these numbers
make him optimistic about the end of the season. He expects to hold his last sale
sometime in February. "We sold 3.1 million pounds last season. I can't see us doing
that this year."

Will there be 100 million pounds of burley? Tremendous mid-season rains followed
by a dry curing season crippled yields. Most reliable sources say that USDA's last
estimate of burley production was way too high at 143 million pounds. Estimates 
of 110 to 120 million pounds have been suggested, but Rankin doubts it will reach
as high as 100 million. "This may be the shortest burley crop ever," he says.

Dark tobacco is very short too. In response to a very poor growing season, dark 
air-cured and fire-cured production is expected to total 53.3 million pounds in 
2016, says Kentucky Extension agricultural economist Will Snell. That would be about
20 million pounds less than in 2015, or 27 percent. Prices for dark tobaccos had
already hit record average levels in 2015 of nearly $2.70 per pound for dark fire-cured
and $2.37 per pound for dark air-cured. "Prices are expected to remain relatively
strong for the 2016 crop [now being marketed] with the potential of expanded contract
volume in 2017 to account for the significantly smaller crop this past year," says
Snell.

China's demand for imported tobacco from all sources seems to be
dropping off. Fortunately for U.S. tobacco producers, a growing share of
Chinese consumers can now afford to upgrade to higher quality cigarettes.
"Consequently, sales in China of premium brand cigarettes are still
growing," says A. Brown, N.C. Extension economist. "This increases
the demand for U.S. tobacco: Chinese manufacturers use more flavor style tobacco
in premium brands." But the benefit is much more likely for flue-cured
growers than burley, since most Chinese cigarettes are all Virginia blends

A tough year for world tobacco production. Nearly all the countries that produce
flavor style  leaf  had a hard time in the most recent growing season. And for 
some, that problem is exacerbated by currency problems and political instability.
The situation is listed in the following report, based on the analysis of Dr. Iqbal
Lambat, c.e.o. of Star Tobacco International.

--ZIMBABWE--Chinese enthusiasm for Zimbabwe leaf has been the bright spot on this 
market. Prices for top "Chinese styles" can reach US$10 per kg or more, and small
scale farmers are hungry to cash in. However, China can take only about 50 percent
of the crop. The remainder--made up of mostly non-Chinese styles--has to compete
with Brazil and U.S. flavor styles, resulting in considerable pressure on prices.
Downward pricing has been experienced at all of the four trading floors recently.
Farmer   disaffection has been so great at times that the army has been needed to
maintain order. Zimbabwe's flue-cured 2015/16 crop (i.e, the last one) was the smallest
in the past five years. Based on seed sales to farmers, the crop next year crop 
is projected at 150 million kgs.

--BRAZIL--Brazil's currency has depreciated by almost 50 percent in the last 12 months,
to 3.1 to the US dollar. At over six percent, unemployment is the highest it's been
since 2008. Borrowing interest rates are close to 20 percent. In such an environment,
it's been extremely difficult for farmers to obtain financing for crops, not to 
mention for leaf processors to engage in large-scale purchases for production. What's
worse for the Brazilians, the impact of all this will be even more severe for the
2016/17 crop, as financing dries up. Now, marketing of the crop is just beginning.
The current volume estimate is 550 million kgs of flue-cured and 80 million kgs 
of burley. There are virtually no uncommitted stocks available in Brazil.

--ARGENTINA--The smallest of the "flavor" flue-cured producers appears to be the hardest
hit of all, with a currency that has depreciated by over 100 percent since a year
ago and has reached a level of close to 15 to the U.S. dollar. Inflation ran at 
three percent per month, and borrowing interest rates that peaked at 40 percent 
per annum made cash flow management difficult. The leaf situation in Argentina appears
more desperate than that of Brazil. The 2015/16 crop closed at 70 million kgs of
flue-cured and 15 million kgs of burley. Uncommitted inventories are at an all-time
low. The four major producing regions are all holding relatively low levels of inventory
at around 10 million kgs. The current 2016/17 crop is earmarked to return to the
level of 90 million kgs of flue-cured and 20 million kgs of burley.

DATES TO REMEMBER
* January 11-12. S.C. Agribiz and Farm Expo. Florence (S.C.) Civic Center.
* February 1-3. Southern Farm Show. N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C.
* February 3. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of N.C., Holshouser Bldg.,
N.C. State Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending with lunch (during Southern Farm
Show).

GAP RECERTIFICATION MEETINGS

North Carolina (Flue-Cured)

* January 4, 9 a.m. Martin County Farmers Market, 4001 West Main St., Williamston
NC. Lunch will be provided. DOL and WPS presentations will be at beginning of meeting.
Need 75 labor posters. Contact Al Cochran at al_cochran@ncsu.edu at 252-789-4370.
* January 6, 9 a.m. The Farmer's Market, 1006 Peachtree St., Rocky Mount NC. Contact
Art Bradley at art_bradley@ncsu.edu at-252-614-7815.
* January 10, 9 a.m. Johnston County Extension Center  2736 NC 210 Highway, Smithfield
NC. Contact Bryant Spivey at bryant_spivey@ncsu.edu or 919-989-5380.
* January 11, 9 a.m. Wilson County Ag Center, 1806 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson NC. 
Contact Norman Harrell at norman_harrell@ncsu.edu  or 252-237-0111.
* January 12, 9:30 a.m. Forsyth County Extension Center, 1450 Fairchild Rd., Winston
Salem NC. Lunch provided. Contact Tim Hambrick at tim_ hambrick@ncsu.edu or 336-703-2857.
* January 13, 8:30 a.m. Granville County Expo Center, 4185 US Highway 15, South 
Oxford NC. Contact Gary Cross at gwcross@ncsu.edu or 919-603-1350.
* January 18, 9 a.m. Wayne County Extension Center, 208 Chestnut St., Goldsboro 
NC. Contact Tyler Whaley at tyler_whaley@ncsu.edu or 919-731-1527.
* January 19, 9 a.m. Lenoir County Shrine Club, 1558 Hwy 70, East Kinston NC. Registration
begins at 8 a.m. Contract Mike Carroll or mike_carroll@ncsu.edu - 252-633-1477.
* January 20, 9 a.m. McSwain Extension Center, 2420 Tramway Rd., Sanford NC. Contact
Zack Taylor at zrtaylor@ncsu.edu. or 919-775-5624  3455.
* January 23, 8 a.m. Caswell County Civic Center, 536 Main St., East Yanceyville
 NC. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Meeting will start at 9 a.m.. Lunch will be served.
Contact Joey E. Knight, III at joey_knight@ncsu.edu or 336-694-4158.
* January 24, 9 a.m. Harnett County Government Complex Commons Area, 309 W. Cornelius
Harnett Blvd., Lillington NC 27546. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Contact Brian 
Parrish at brian_parrish@ncsu.edu or 910-8937530.
* January 25, 9 a.m. Sampson County Ag Expo Center 414 Warsaw Rd. Clinton NC. Contact
Della King at della_king@ncsu.edu or 910-592-7161.
* February 3, 1:30 p.m. Holshouser Bld., NC State Fair Grounds, Raleigh NC (in conjunction
with TGANC Annual Meeting during Southern Farm Show). Lunch will be provided. Contact
Matthew Vann at matthew_vann@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0904.

Virginia (Flue-cured)
* January 17, 9 a.m. Southern Piedmont Center, 2375 Darvills Rd., Blackstone VA 
Registration at 8:30 a.m. Contact Lindy Tucker at tucker07@vt.edu or 434-696-5526.
* January 18, 4 p.m. Meherrin River Hunt Club, 435 Dry Creek Rd., South Hill VA.
 Registration at 3:30 p.m. Contact Taylor Clarke at clarke@vt.edu or 434-738-6191.
* January 19, 4 p.m. Olde Dominion Ag Complex  19783 U. S. Highway 29, South Chatham
VA. Registration at 3:30 p.m. Contact Stephen Barts sbarts@vt.edu 434-432-7770.
* January 25, 10 a.m. Scottsburg Volunteer Fire Dept., 3050 Scottsburg Rd., Scottsburg
VA. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Rebecca Slabach at cbrown04@ vt.edu 434-476-2147.
* February 15, 10 a.m. Midway Baptist Ch., Midway Rd., Phenix VA. Registration at
9:30 a.m. Contact Bob Jones at rojones2@vt.edu or 434-542-5884.

Editor's note: If you you would like to receive the newsletter at your email address (or change an existing address), please click on "Join our mailing list" below and follow the prompts. For more information, you can call me at 919-789-4631 or email at chrisbickers@gmail.com.--Chris Bickers

Loading boxed burley at a Burley Stabilization Corporation warehouse in Springfield, Tn.

Good news for burley growers? Steve Pratt, general manager of the Burley Tobacco

Growers Cooperative Association in Lexington, Ky., says that despite the weather,

the first burley his cooperative has processed is useable leaf. "It doesn't look
bad," he says. "The quality appears in the average range." The yield won't be average,
however. Because of the weather, this is a very short crop. Pratt thinks there is
at least 110 million pounds out there but other reliable sources have estimated 
lower. It may be a while before a definite number is obtained because burley deliveries
are coming in very slowly, says Pratt.

When a market-depressing oversupply turns into a factor in market stability: Just
six months ago, burley inventories were considered excessive. Now, the industry 
is glad to have them to ensure that burley buyers will get what they need this season.

There's not much help for burley on the demand side: U.S. burley exports have dropped

by more than 30 percent during the past marketing year as the market adjusted to
 excessive global supplies of lower-priced leaf, says Will Snell, Kentucky Extension
tobacco economist. This trend was aided by a stronger U.S. dollar and slumping product
sales in some blended cigarette markets," says Snell. Domestic demand for U.S. burley
remains relatively weak as the market reverts back to more traditional annual declines
in U.S. cigarette sales. Another factor is the continued use of a relatively high
volume of imported burley.




No hurry to seed your greenhouse. Seeding of flue-cured greenhouses should begin

50 to 55 days before your anticipated transplanting date, and there is very

little benefit from seeding sooner, say N.C. Extension crop scientists. "Early seeding
increases heating costs as well as the potential for collar rot," they say.


Beating budworm without Belt: Registration for Belt (flubendiamide) has been canceled 


due to concerns about non-target effects on aquatic invertebrates. “Blackhawk appears 
to be essentially the only foliar-applied material we can widely recommend for tobacco 


budworm,” says Hannah Burrack, N.C. Extension Entomologist.

The 2017 Tobacco Expo will take place January 19 and 20 at the Lexington (Ky.) Convention  Center.

Exhibitors will include Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association; Council for Burley Tobacco, Inc.;

 Arysta Life-Science; Syngenta LLC.; F.W. Rickard Seeds; Kentucky Department of Fish and

Wildlife Resources; R. J. Equipment; Continental Industries, Inc.; AG-TECH; FarmLogic--Soil Test Pro;

Kentucky Women in Agriculture; Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center; Kentucky

Black Hereford Association; Workman Tobacco Seed, Inc.; Newton Seed, Inc.; AGSAFE; and Ohio

Tobacco Museum.

There were some encouraging developments in 2016 for U.S. leaf, according to Blake

Brown, N.C. Extension economist.
* Global surpluses, especially of flavor-style flue-cured, were reduced.
* Despite continued reductions in cigarette consumption and increases in taxation
and regulation, industry profits remained strong.
* If "heat-not-burn" products catch on, it could favor leaf compared to vapor products.
* But exchange rates favored increased Brazilian production, and Brazilian flue-cured
production is up at around 1.4 billion pounds.

Opportunities for U.S. flavor-style leaf producers are in countries where smokers

are expected to 'trade up' to premium brand cigarettes, said Brown at N.C. Tobacco
Day in December.


DATES TO REMEMBER
* January 11-12. S.C. Agribiz and Farm Expo. Florence (S.C.) Civic Center. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (W) and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (T).
* January 19-20. 2017 Tobacco Expo. Opens 11 a.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. Friday.  Lexington
(Ky.) Convention Center.
* January 19. Annual Meeting, Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, 4 p.m.,

Heritage Hall, Lexington (Ky.) Convention Center (in conjunction with Tobacco Expo).
* January 20. Annual Meeting, Council for Burley Tobacco, Lexington (Ky.) Convention
Center. Noon (in conjunction with Tobacco Expo).
* February 1-3. Southern Farm Show. N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C. 9 a.m.
 to 4 p.m.
* February 3. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of N.C., Holshouser Bldg.,
N.C. State Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending with lunch (during Southern Farm
Show).
* February 7, 8 a.m. Tobacco Expo, Robertson Co. Fairgrounds, 4635 Highway 41 North,
Springfield, Tn.

GAP TRAINING EVENTS

INDIANA (Burley)
* February 21, 1 p.m. Saddle Club, 710 Fairgrounds Rd., Scottsburg IN. Contact Megan
Voyles at mvoyles@purdue.edu or 812-752-8450.
* February 21, 6 p.m. Switzerland County Extension Ofc., 708 West Seminary St., 
Vevay IN. Contact Kyle Weaver at keweaver@purdue.edu or 812-427-3152.
* February 24 1 p.m. Orange County Extension Ofc., 205 East Main St., Paoli IN. 
Contact Paul Vining at vining@purdue.edu or 812-723-2107.


KENTUCKY (Burley/Dark)
* January 17, 5:30 p.m. Cumberland Co. Extension Ofc., 90 Smith Grove Rd., Burkesville
KY. Chelsey Pickens at capick3@uky.edu or 606-387-5404.
* January 20, 9 a.m. Heritage Hall, 430 West Vine St., Lexington KY. Contact Bob
 Pearce at rpearce@uky.edu or 859-257-5110.
* January 24, 6 p.m. James E. Bruce Convention Ctr., 303 Conference Ctr. Dr., Hopkinsville
KY. Contact Andy Bailey at abailey@uky.edu or 270-365-7541.
* January 26, 11 a.m. Owensboro Convention Ctr., 501 W 2nd St., Owensboro KY. Contact
Andy Bailey at abailey@uky.edu or 270-365-7541.
* January 26, 6 p.m. Woodford County Extension Ofc., 184 Beasley Rd., Versailles
 KY. Contact Adam Probst at adam.probst@uky.edu or 859 873-4601.
* January 27, 9 a.m. Shelby County Extension Ofc., 1117 Frankfort Rd., Shelbyville
KY. Contact Corinne Belton at corinne.belton@uky.edu or 502-633-4593.
* January 27, 1 p.m. Henry County Extension Ofc., 2151 Campbellsburg Rd., New Castle
KY. Contact Levi Berg at levi.berg@uky.edu or 502-845-2811.
* January 30 6:30 p.m. Pendleton County Extension Ofc., 45 David Pribble Dr., Falmouth
KY. Contact Lindie Huffman at lindie.huffman@uky.edu or 859-654-3395 3480
* January 31, 5 p.m. Blewitt-Bradley Building, 309 North High St., Franklin KY. 
Contact Jason Phillips at jrphil0@uky.edu or 270-586-4484 .
* February 2, 6 p.m. Webster Co. Extension Ofc., 1118 US Hwy 41A, South Dixon KY.
Contact Vicki Shadrick at vshadric@uky.edu or 270-639-9011.
* February 7, 9 a.m. Green Co. Extension Ofc., 298 Happyville Rd., Greensburg. KY.
Contact Ricky Arnett at ricky.arnett@uky.edu or 270-932-5311.
* February 9, 6 p.m. Lincoln County Extension Ofc., 104 Metker Trail, Stanford KY.
Contact Will Stallard at will.stallard@uky.edu or 606-365-2459.
* February 22, 10 a.m. Pulaski County Extension Ofc., 18 Parkway Drive Somerset 
KY. Contact Beth Wilson at beth.wilson@uky.edu or 606-679-6361.
* February 28, 6 p.m. Allen County Extension Ofc., 200 East Main St., Scottsville
KY. Contact Steve Osborne at sosborne@uky.edu or 270-237-3146.
* March 7, 6 p.m. Nicholas County Livestock Barn, 1471 Concrete Rd., Carlisle KY.
Contact Clay Stamm at clay.stamm@uky.edu or 859-289-2312.
* March 9, 6 p.m. Owen County Extension Ofc., 265 Ellis Hwy, Owenton KY. Steve Musen
at steve.musen@uky.edu or 502-484 5703.
* March 21, 6:30 p.m. Barren County High School Trojan Academy, 505 Trojan Trail,
Glasgow KY. Contact Chris Shalk at chris.schalk@uky.edu or 270-651-3818.

TENNESSEE (Burley)
* January 30, 10 a.m. Stewart County Visitors Ctr., 117 Visitors Ctr. Lane, Dover
TN. Start time not final. Contact Joe Griffy at jgriffy1@utk.edu or 931-232-5682.
* February 7, 8 a.m. Robertson Co. Fairgrounds Bldg., 4635 Highway 41 North, Springfield
TN. GAP Training will be held in conjunction with Tobacco Expo, with sessions beginning
at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Contact Eric Walker at ewalke22@utk.edu or 731-394-0389.
* February 20, 5 p.m. Montgomery County Extension Ofc., 1030 Cumberland Heights 
Rd., Ste. A, Clarksville TN. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Contact Rusty Evans at jevans1@utk.edu
or 931-648-5725.

ADVERTISING

This picture, taken January 14, shows a tray from one of a few Deep South greenhouses that have emerging seedlings already.

Seedlings have emerged in a few greenhouses in Georgia and Florida. "But most greenhouse operators will begin seeding in earnest this week and next," says J. Michael Moore, Georgia Extension tobacco specialist. Most plants are produced commercially in the Deep South, he says. "Farmers have placed their orders and are making plans on a successful season."

Other states have a way to go before seeding should begin. There is always a temptation to start early if you have time on your hands but N.C. Extension tobacco specialist Matthew Vanncounsels against it. "Don't be lulled into seeding your greenhouse just because there's nothing else to do," he says.

If you re-use green-house trays, rinse them prior to fall storage and disinfect them just before seeding in the spring, says Eric Walker, Tn. Extension tobacco specialist. Avoid storing sanitized trays in areas where they may come in contact with soil or debris. Or you could cover your trays with plastic or a tarp.

The new flue variety NC 938 performed very well in testing last summer. "It offers very high resistance to both strains of black shank and also has very high yield potential," says Matthew Vann, N.C. Extension tobacco specialist. "But its resistance to Granville wilt is only moderate." He suggests planting some NC 938 this year in hot black shank fields, manage it just as you normally would, and see how it does against standard resistant varieties. All three producers of flue-cured seed are selling this variety this season.

Nimitz, a new non-fumigant nematicide, may be available for tobacco this year. It depends on if it passes the industry smoke test in time. The manufacturer Adama obtained registration last June for use of Nimitz on tobacco. Distribution will be handled through normal channels. Watch this space for more information.

Whenever you get Nimitz, it should be a good option for nematode control. "Like any contact nematicide, the control you get is not as good as you would expect from a fumigant," says Alex Csinos, University of Georgia plant pathologist. "But in situations where you can't or don't want to use fumigants, it can be a good second choice. It is way better than no-thing at all." Most farmers will apply it to the soil -- either broadcast or in bands -- and incorporate it. Efficient application will be important because the cost of the material will be high.

The availability of Telone II is a matter of some concern. "It is likely that delivery through dealers will be on the slow side," says Moore. "Farmers can't afford much of a delay in application of Telone II."

Belted by lack of Belt? "The loss of Belt puts pressure on the grower to choose wisely among what few insecticides are available," says Moore. There are still opportunities to rotate chemistries to maximize the benefit of the insecticides you have and to avoid the development of resistance, he adds.

DATES TO REMEMBER

January 19-20. 2017 Tobacco Expo. Opens 11 a.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. Friday. Lexington (Ky.) Convention Center.
January 19. Annual Meeting, Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, , Heritage Hall, Lexington (Ky.) Convention Center, 4 p.m. (in conjunction with Tobacco Expo).
January 20. Annual Meeting, Council for Burley Tobacco, Lexington (Ky.) Convention Center. Noon (in conjunction with Tobacco Expo).
February 1-3. Southern Farm Show. N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
February 3. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of N.C., Holshouser Bldg., N.C. State Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending with lunch (during Southern Farm Show).
February 7, Tennessee-Kentucky Tobacco Expo, Robertson County Fairgrounds, 4635 Highway 41 North, Springfield, Tn. 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Sponsored lunch. Includes a trade show. Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training and GAP Training sessions will be provided. For more information, call 615-384-7936.

THE SOUTHERN FARM SHOW

Exhibits of interest to tobacco growers listed by location on the N.C. State Fairgrounds. List courtesy of Southern Shows Inc. Note To Exhibitors: If you are not listed below and would like to be included in the late January issue of TFN, please write to chrisbickers @gmail.com.

Jim Graham Bldg.

222 Evans Mactavish Agricraft.
227 Kelley Mfg. Co. Agricultural equipment.
704 (also 8131) Agri Supply. Agricultural materials.
807 Mechanical Transplanter Co. Transplanters, seeding equipment.
808 BulkTobac (Gas Fired Products). Curing equipment and controls.

Kerr Scott Bldg.

1002 TriEst Ag Group (Formerly Hendrix and Dail). Fumigation supplies.
1107 Flue Cured Tobacco Services. Curing controls.
1015 Yara North America. Fertility products.
1104 GoldLeaf Seed Co. Tobacco seed.
1114 Transplant Systems. Greenhouse systems.
1116 Cross Creek Seed. Tobacco seed.
1121 AAA Scale Co.
1201 Carolina Greenhouse & Soil Company.
1202 Reddick Equipment Company Inc.
1302 Mid-Atlantic Irrigation. Irrigation equipment.

Exposition Bldg.

3127 (also 8609) Benchmark Buildings & Irrigation. Transplanters and irrigation equipment.
3135 Southern Container Corporation of Wilson. Bale sheets and packaging.
3311 Flame Engineering. Weed control with flame.
3522 First Products Inc. Fertilizer boxes for cultivators and tool bars.
3605 MarCo Mfg. Tobacco machinery.
3714 (also 8615) Cureco, Inc. Curing controls.

Tent 1

5108 Fairbanks Scale
5110 Britt Technical Services, Inc. Rotem Curing Controls.

Scott Tent

7025 Drexel Chemical Company. Sucker control chemicals.
7319 ABI Irrigation. Irrigation equipment.

Outdoors

8035 Equipmax. Tobacco spray equipment.
8039 Vause Equipment Co. Farm equipment.
8204 Wilson Manufacturing. Farm trailers
8217 Granville Equipment. Tobacco Machinery.
8221 Walters Air Assist Plant Release System. Plant release system.
8301 De Cloet SRL. Tobacco machinery.
8546 Kelley Mfg. Co. Agricultural equipment.
8604 Williamson Greenhouses.
8701 Tytun Ltd. Bulk flue-curing barns.
8705 Long Tobacco Barn Co. Bulk tobacco curing barns.

GAP TRAINING EVENTS

VIRGINIA (Flue-Cured)

January 17, 9 a.m. Southern Piedmont Center, 2375 Darvills Road, Blackstone VA. Registration at 8:30 a.m. Contact Lindy Tucker at tucker07@vt.edu or 434-696-5526.
January 18, 4 p.m. Meherrin River Hunt Club, 435 Dry Creek Rd., South Hill, VA. Contact Taylor Clark at clarke@ vt.edu or 434 738 6191.
January 19, 4 p.m. Olde Domi-nion Agricultural Complex, 19783 U.S. Highway 29 South, Chatham VA. Contact Ste-phen Barts at sbarts @vt.edu or 434-432-7770.
January 25, 10 a.m. Scottsburg Volunteer Fire Department, 3050 Scottsburg Rd., Scottsburg, Va. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Rebecca Slabach at cbrown04@vt.edu or 434-476-2147.
February 15,10 a.m. Midway Baptist Church 2595 Midway Rd., Phenix, Va. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Bob Jones at rojones2@vt.edu or 434-542-5884.
February 15, 10 a.m. Midway Baptist Church 2595 Midway Rd., Phenix, Va. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Bob Jones at rojones2 @vt.edu or 434-542-5884.

NORTH CAROLINA (Flue-Cured)

January 18, 9 a.m. Wayne County Extension Cntr., 208 Chestnut St., Goldsboro, NC. Contact Tyler Whaley at tyler_whaley @ncsu.edu or 919-731-1527.
January 19, 9 a.m. Lenoir County Shrine Club, 1558 Hwy 70, East Kinston NC. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Contact Mike Carroll at mike_carroll@ncsu.edu or 252-633-1477.
January 20, 9 a.m. McSwain Extension Center, 2420 Tramway Rd., Sanford NC. Contact Zack Taylor at zrtaylor@ncsu.edu or 919-775-5624.
January 23, 8 a.m. Caswell County Civic Center, 536 Main St., East Yanceyville NC. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Meeting will start at 9 a.m.. Lunch will be served. Contact Joey E. Knight III at joey_knight@ncsu.edu or 336-694-4158.
January 24, 9 a.m. Harnett County Government Complex Commons Area, 309 W. Cornelius Harnett Blvd., Lillington NC 27546. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Contact Brian Parrish at brian_ parrish@ncsu.edu or 910-893-7530.
January 25, 9 a.m. Sampson County Ag Expo Center 414 Warsaw Rd. Clinton, NC. Contact Della King at della_king@ncsu.edu or 910-592-7161.
February 3, 1:30 p.m. Holshouser Bld., NC State Fair Grounds, Raleigh NC (after the TGANC Annual Meeting during Southern Farm Show). Lunch will be provided. Contact Matthew Vann at matthew_ vann@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0904.

INDIANA (Burley)

February 21, 1 p.m. Saddle Club, 710 Fairgrounds Rd., Scottsburg IN. Contact Megan Voyles at mvoyles@purdue.edu or 812-752-8450.
February 21, 6 p.m. Switzerland County Extension Ofc., 708 West Seminary St., Vevay IN. Contact Kyle Weaver at keweaver @purdue.edu or 812-427-3152.
February 24, 1 p.m. Orange County Extension Ofc., 205 East Main St., Paoli IN. Contact Paul Vining at vining@purdue.edu or 812-723-2107.

KENTUCKY (Burley/Dark)

January 17, 5:30 p.m. Cumberland Co. Extension Ofc., 90 Smith Grove Rd., Burkesville KY. Chelsey Pickens at capick3@ uky.edu or 606-387-5404.
January 20, 9 a.m. Heritage Hall, 430 West Vine St., Lexington KY. Contact Bob Pearce at rpearce@uky.edu or 859-257-5110.
January 24, 6 p.m. James E. Bruce Convention Ctr., 303 Conference Ctr. Dr., Hopkinsville KY. Contact Andy Bailey at abailey@uky .edu or 270-365-7541.
January 26, 11 a.m. Owensboro Convention Ctr., 501 W 2nd St., Owensboro KY. Contact Andy Bailey at abailey@uky.edu or 270-365-7541.
January 26, 6 p.m. Woodford County Extension Ofc., 184 Beasley Rd., Versailles KY. Contact Adam Probst at adam.probst@ uky.edu or 859 873-4601.
January 27, 1 p.m. Henry County Extension Ofc., 2151 Campbellsburg Rd., New Castle KY. Contact Levi Berg at levi.berg@uky.edu or 502-845-2811.
January 30 6:30 p.m. Pendleton County Extension Ofc., 45 David Pribble Dr., Falmouth KY. Contact Lindie Huffman at lindie. huffman@uky.edu or 859-654-3395.
January 31, 5 p.m. Blewitt-Bradley Building, 309 North High St., Franklin KY. Contact Jason Phillips at jrphil0@uky.edu or 270-586-4484 .
February 2, 6 p.m. Webster Co. Extension Ofc., 1118 US Hwy 41A, South Dixon KY. Contact Vicki Shadrick at vshadric@uky .edu or 270-639-9011.
February 7, 9 a.m. Green Co. Extension Ofc., 298 Happyville Rd., Greensburg. KY. Contact Ricky Arnett at ricky.arnett@ uky.edu or 270-932-5311.
February 9, 6 p.m. Lincoln County Extension Ofc., 104 Metker Trail, Stanford KY. Contact Will Stallard at will.stallard@uky.edu or 606-365-2459.
February 22, 10 a.m. Pulaski County Extension Ofc., 18 Parkway Drive Somerset KY. Contact Beth Wilson at beth.wilson@ uky.edu or 606-679-6361.
February 28, 6 p.m. Allen County Extension Ofc., 200 East Main St., Scottsville KY. Contact Steve Osborne at sosborne@uky.edu or 270-237-3146.
March 7, 6 p.m. Nicholas County Livestock Barn, 1471 Concrete Rd., Carlisle KY. Contact Clay Stamm at clay.stamm@uky.edu or 859-289-2312.
March 9, 6 p.m. Owen County Extension Ofc., 265 Ellis Hwy, Owenton KY. Steve Musen at steve.musen@uky.edu or 502-484 5703.
March 21, 6:30 p.m. Barren County High School Trojan Academy, 505 Trojan Trail, Glasgow KY. Contact Chris Shalk at chris.schalk@uky.edu or 270-651-3818.

TENNESSEE (Burley)

January 30, 10 a.m. Stewart County Visitors Ctr., 117 Visitors Ctr. Lane, Dover, Tn. Start time not final. Contact Joe Griffy at jgriffy1@utk.edu or 931-232-5682.
February 7, 8 a.m. Robertson Co. Fairgrounds Bldg., 4635 Highway 41 North, Springfield, Tn. Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training and GAP Training sessions will be provided. Contact Eric Walker at ewalke22 @utk.edu or 731-394-0389.
February 20, 5 p.m. Montgomery County Extension Office, 1030 Cumberland Heights Rd., Ste. A, Clarksville, Tn. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Contact Rusty Evans at jevans1@utk.edu or 931-648-5725.

Equipment waits on the floor for farmers at a past Southern Farm Show in Raleigh, N.C.

The Southern Farm Show will take place at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C., from Wednesday, February 1, through Friday, February 3. The annual meeting of the Tobacco Growers Association of N.C. will take place Friday from 10 to 1, with a lunch afterward. A list of exhibitors with displays of particular interest to tobacco growers appears below.

The new Trilogy trays will probably be available for inspection at the Show. These new plastic greenhouse trays may allow for more effective sanitation than styrofoam trays, says Tennessee Extension tobacco specialist Eric Walker. "They are also more durable, allowing producers to use them for many more years." Testing is continuing. Cost is something of an issue with the trays.

Three years at most: Conventional EPS trays should be used no longer than three years even if they have been sanitized each year, Walker adds.

A machinery show in Tennessee: The Tennessee-Kentucky Tobacco Expo will take place at the Robertson County Fairgrounds in Springfield on February 7. Registration will begin at 8 a.m., and the program will continue to 2:30 p.m. There will be a sponsored lunch and a machinery show and an educational program conducted by Andy Bailey and Emily Pfeurer, both Extension tobacco specialists in Kentucky, and Walker of Tennessee. Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training and GAP Training sessions will be provided. For more information, call 615-384-7936.

Rugged individualism among tobacco farmers may be about to diminish thanks to the increased level of regulation in the tobacco product market, says Will Snell, Kentucky Extension tobacco economist. Changes in the composition and types of tobacco products will require closer scrutiny by tobacco companies on how the leaf they purchase is produced, and the companies will likely exert more control over inputs and production practices, he says.

A smoke-free future? Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) said on Wednesday that it is building its future on smoke-free products that it considers a much better choice than cigarette smoking. "Adult smokers are looking for product choices that offer the


	PMI's new heat-not-burn product IQOS.

satisfying taste, ritual, and pleasure they get from cigarettes, but with far lower amounts of the harmful compounds found in smoke," said Tony Snyder, PMI Vice President of Communications. "After more than 10 years of research and development, today we have both the science and the technology to make these products a reality for the world's 1.1 billion smokers." He noted that more than one million adult smokers have converted to PMI's flagship smokeless product--IQOS, a pen-like device that heats tobacco rather than burns it. We won't see any soon: PMI doesn't market its products in the United States.

DATES TO REMEMBER

February 1-3. Southern Farm Show. N.C. State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, N.C. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

February 3. Annual Meeting, Tobacco Growers Association of N.C., Holshouser Bldg., N.C. State Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., ending with lunch (during Southern Farm Show).

February 7, Tennessee-Kentucky Tobacco Expo, Robertson County Fairgrounds, 4635 Highway 41 North, Springfield, Tn. 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, call 615-384-7936.

THE SOUTHERN FARM SHOW

Exhibits of interest to tobacco growers listed by location on the N.C. State Fairgrounds. List courtesy of Southern Shows Inc.

Jim Graham Bldg.

222 Evans Mactavish Agricraft.

227 Kelley Mfg. Co. Agricultural equipment.

704 (also 8131) Agri Supply. Agricultural materials.

807 Mechanical Transplanter Co. Transplanters, seeding equipment.

808 BulkTobac (Gas Fired Products). Curing equipment and controls.

Kerr Scott Bldg.

1002 TriEst Ag Group (Formerly Hendrix and Dail). Fumigation supplies.

1107 Flue Cured Tobacco Services. Curing controls.

1015 Yara North America. Fertility products.

1104 GoldLeaf Seed Co. Tobacco seed.

1114 Transplant Systems. Greenhouse systems.

1116 Cross Creek Seed. Tobacco seed.

1121 AAA Scale Co.

1201 Carolina Greenhouse & Soil Company.

1202 Reddick Equipment Company Inc.

1302 Mid-Atlantic Irrigation. Irrigation equipment.

Exposition Bldg.

3127 (also 8609) Benchmark Buildings & Irrigation. Transplanters and irrigation equipment.

3135 Southern Container Corporation of Wilson. Bale sheets and packaging.

3311 Flame Engineering. Weed control with flame.

3522 First Products Inc. Fertilizer boxes for cultivators and tool bars.

3605 MarCo Mfg. Tobacco machinery.

3714 (also 8615) Cureco, Inc. Curing controls.

Tent 1

5108 Fairbanks Scale
5110 Britt Technical Services, Inc. Rotem Curing Controls.

Scott Tent

7025 Drexel Chemical Company. Sucker control chemicals.
7319 ABI Irrigation. Irrigation equipment.

Outdoors

8035 Equipmax. Tobacco spray equipment.
8039 Vause Equipment Co. Farm equipment.
8204 Wilson Manufacturing. Farm trailers
8217 Granville Equipment. Tobacco Machinery.
8221 Walters Air Assist Plant Release System. Plant release system.
8301 De Cloet SRL. Tobacco machinery.
8546 Kelley Mfg. Co. Agricultural equipment.
8604 Williamson Greenhouses.
8701 Tytun Ltd. Bulk flue-curing barns.
8705 Long Tobacco Barn Co. Bulk tobacco curing barns.

GAP TRAINING EVENTS

SOUTH CAROLINA (Flue-Cured)

March 7, 10 a.m. Woodhaven, 1963 Highway 76, Marion SC, across the street from Autozone. Contact J. Michael Moore at 229-392-6424 or jmmoore@uga.edu.

VIRGINIA (Flue-Cured)

February 15, 10 a.m. Midway Baptist Church 2595 Midway Rd., Phenix, Va. Registration at 9:30 a.m. Contact Bob Jones at rojones2@vt.edu or 434-542-5884.

NORTH CAROLINA (Flue-Cured)

February 3, 1:30 p.m. Holshouser Bld., NC State Fair Grounds, Raleigh NC (after the TGANC Annual Meeting during Southern Farm Show). Lunch will be provided. Contact Matthew Vann at matthew_vann@ncsu.edu or 919-513-0904.

INDIANA (Burley)

February 21, 1 p.m. Saddle Club, 710 Fairgrounds Rd., Scottsburg IN. Contact Megan Voyles at mvoyles@purdue.edu or 812-752-8450.

February 21, 6 p.m. Switzerland County Extension Ofc., 708 West Seminary St., Vevay IN. Contact Kyle Weaver at keweaver@purdue.edu or 812-427-3152.

February 24 1 p.m. Orange County Extension Ofc., 205 East Main St., Paoli IN. Contact Paul Vining at vining@purdue.edu or 812-723-2107.

KENTUCKY (Burley/Dark)

January 30, 6:30 p.m. Pendleton County Extension Ofc., 45 David Pribble Dr., Falmouth KY. Contact Lindie Huffman at lindie.huffman@uky.edu or 859-654-3395.
January 31, 5 p.m. Blewitt-Bradley Building, 309 North High St., Franklin KY. Contact Jason Phillips at jrphil0@uky.edu or 270-586-4484.
February 2, 6 p.m. Webster Co. Extension Ofc., 1118 US Hwy 41A, South Dixon KY. Contact Vicki Shadrick at vshadric@uky.edu or 270-639-9011.
February 7, 9 a.m. Green Co. Extension Ofc., 298 Happyville Rd., Greensburg. KY. Contact Ricky Arnett at ricky.arnett@uky.edu or 270-932-5311.
February 9, 6 p.m. Lincoln County Extension Ofc., 104 Metker Trail, Stanford KY. Contact Will Stallard at will.stallard@uky.edu or 606-365-2459.
February 22, 10 a.m. Pulaski County Extension Ofc., 18 Parkway Drive Somerset KY. Contact Beth Wilson at beth.wilson@uky.edu or 606-679-6361.
February 28, 6 p.m. Allen County Extension Ofc., 200 East Main St., Scottsville KY. Contact Steve Osborne at sosborne@uky.edu or 270-237-3146.
March 7, 6 p.m. Nicholas County Livestock Barn, 1471 Concrete Rd., Carlisle KY. Contact Clay Stamm at clay.stamm@uky.edu or 859-289-2312.
March 9, 6 p.m. Owen County Extension Ofc., 265 Ellis Hwy, Owenton KY. Steve Musen at steve.musen@uky.edu or 502-484 5703.
March 21, 6:30 p.m. Barren County High School Trojan Academy, 505 Trojan Trail, Glasgow KY. Contact Chris Shalk at chris.schalk@uky.edu or 270-651-3818.

TENNESSEE (Burley)

January 30, 10 a.m. Stewart County Visitors Ctr., 117 Visitors Ctr. Lane, Dover, Tn. Start time not final. Contact Joe Griffy at jgriffy1@utk.edu or 931-232-5682.
February 7, 8 a.m. Robertson Co. Fairgrounds Bldg., 4635 Highway 41 North, Springfield, Tn. Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification Training and GAP Training sessions will be provided. Contact Eric Walker at ewalke22 @utk.edu or 731-394-0389.
February 20, 5 p.m. Montgomery County Extension Office, 1030 Cumberland Heights Rd., Ste. A, Clarksville, Tn. Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Contact Rusty Evans at jevans1@utk.edu or 931-648-5725.

WEATHER PUTS BRAKES ON TOBACCO PLANTING

CROP LATE BUT LOOKING GOOD

TOMATO SPOTTED WILT BREAKS OUT IN FLORIDA, GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

BLUE MOLD MAKES IT TO N.C.

WHAT ROLE SHOULD AUCTIONS PLAY IN MODERN LEAF MARKETING?

Article 0

THE USDA AUGUST 12 PRODUCTION ESTIMATE

TOBACCO HARVEST NEARING END WITH FEW BUMPER CROPS IN SIGHT

OVER HALF OF 2016 TOBACCO HAS MOVED FROM FIELDS TO BARNS

OVER HALF OF 2016 TOBACCO HAS MOVED FROM FIELDS TO BARNS

A TORRENTIAL END TO A TOUGH GROWING SEASON

WHICH STATES STILL HAVE TOBACCO IN THE FIELD?

SEASON WRAPS UP AS MATTHEW HEADS OUT TO SEA

HOW WILL THE BURLEY CROP FARE IN THE 2016 MARKET?

Article 0

FLUE-CURED MARKET LIMPS TO A CLOSE

PRODUCTION WAY DOWN FOR BURLEY AND DARK

AVERAGE QUALITY IN PROCESSED BURLEY IS GOOD NEWS FOR GROWERS

THE SEASON BEGINS IN THE DEEP SOUTH

SHOW TIME IN TOBACCO LAND