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Local News
Tobacco farmers hope for high prices By Eddie Fitzgerald | Daily Times Staff Writer Next week, the 119th Wilson Tobacco Market will open for the 2008 tobacco season, and it can't come soon enough for growers who have faced high expenses on the farm and drought in the fields. Randal Barnes, a tobacco grower in the western portion of the county, said he is looking forward to the tobacco market opening. It has been a late season for tobacco, he said. Weather delayed planting for two weeks and will delay the final harvest until the end of September. "It has been a very expensive year," Banes said. "I've had to borrow a lot of money, and it's been a long time since we've had a paycheck." The high price of fuel has affected everything this growing season, Barnes said. "Especially the cost of curing fuel and fertilizer has hurt us the most this year," he said. It has been a hard season on the farmers not only economically but also because of the weather -- a cool start to the season and long, dry periods close to the harvest. Barnes, who grows 95 acres of tobacco, said although diseases on tobacco are showing up more this year than last year because of the weather, it is beginning to look like a good crop. "I'm just amazed at how well the tobacco recovered from the dry weather we had in June and July," Barnes said. "I'm glad the market is opening next week." Although Wilson's Tobacco Market is no longer an auction sale, it still exists, and is stronger than ever. Before the Federal Tobacco Program was eliminated in 2004, Wilson County farmers planted 5,635 acres of tobacco. The average selling price of tobacco was $1.89 per pound and the crop generated $25.2 million in gross farm income, according to statistics from the agriculture extension service. Norman Harrell, agriculture extension agent, said since the end of the tobacco program there are no longer restrictions on the amount of tobacco that can be produced, the location, or the type (flue-cured or burley). Farmers no longer need a "tobacco quota" for the right to produce and sell the leaf. This year the flue-cured tobacco acreage for Wilson County is 9,130 acres, which is a 62 percent increase in acreage compared to 2004. Harrell said many farms in Wilson County have expanded for that additional tobacco production, and the expansion has affected the Wilson economy by increasing business for several Wilson companies. Increased leaf production requires additional tobacco production equipment and there are also increased needs from fertilizer dealers. Also, more tobacco curing barns are needed with the additional acres and with that additional shelters, concrete, electrical wiring, LP gas plumbing and metal fabrication, Harrell said. "Tobacco dollars continue to "turn over" in the Wilson economy," he said. There are at least four companies purchasing leaf directly from farmers in Wilson this summer. They are Universal Leaf North America U.S., United Tobacco Co, Wilson Tobacco Services, and Independent Leaf Tobacco Co., Harrell said. In 2007, the Wilson Tobacco Market had an estimated 90 million pounds of tobacco move through its receiving stations with an average value of $1.57 per pound and a gross value of more than $130 million, Harrell said. "There will be more tobacco moved through the market in 2008 due to increases in production and consolidation of receiving stations (from other areas)," he said. "Farmers near and far come to Wilson to sell their tobacco. There are no other tobacco markets in the United States that compare to the volume of leaf moved through the Wilson markets." Tobacco production remains the mainstay of most farming operations in the county. Tobacco sales generated over $35.5 million in gross farm income, more than any other commodity in Wilson County in 2007, Harrell said. This year's flue-cured tobacco crop equals a 7 percent increase over last year. Within that acreage, there are approximately 750 acres of pesticide residue clean (PRC) tobacco and 2.5 acres of certified organic, Harrell said. Non traditional types of tobacco planted in the county are 90 acres of burley tobacco and a few acres of dark-fired tobacco (similar to burley), Harrell said. So far, it looks like an "average tobacco crop", Harrell said. There are some problems with black shank and Granville wilt in some areas of the county, he said. Those two diseases wilt tobacco leaves or kill the plant. "But the tobacco not affected by the disease looks pretty good," Harrell said. "The cured leaf I have seen coming out of the barns looks pretty good for lower stalk tobacco." Hopefully the recovery of the plants will continue with adequate rainfall and good growing conditions, Harrell said. "Input costs have increased significantly with some expenses doubling or tripling from last year," he said. "It will require approximately $3,500 per acre to grow tobacco this year. A high-yielding tobacco crop along with high selling prices will be necessary for growers to survive this season." eddie@wilsontimes.com | 265-7820
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