[AT] Tobacco transplanting time

[charlie hill]

Now that the price support system and allotments are gone I think the top 
contract price is about $1.30 a pound.  That again is for the top grades. 
Under the old system the guys were paying anywhere from 35 to 55 cents a 
pound to lease the allotments.  The top grades under the old system brought 
about $1.90 a pound.   That means that there is about 20 cents of "profit" 
gone out of the deal.
However, the farmers that are staying in the business are no longer 
constrained as to which tract of land they have to plant the tobacco on or 
how many pounds per acre they can produce so it will probably work out ok 
for the better farmers with the best land.   The sloppy farmers who taxed 
the old system will fall by the way side.  That is the way it should be. 
Now it will work just like it does with vegetable crops.  If you can get a 
contract with the tobacco company, you can grow tobacco and take your 
chances.

The guys that stay in will still be more mechanized here than where David is 
but I suspect the ones that can get enough good labor will go back to manual 
harvest.  It is easier to control quality that way.
The machine can't tell green from ripe.

My family has been in the tobacco business one way or another for as many 
generations as we can trace.  I never thought I'd feel this way but I'm 
kinda glad to finally be out of the business.  I just hope we don't have to 
let the farm grow up in trees or plant it with little vinyl boxes (tract 
houses).

Charlie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Bruce" <davidbruce at yadtel.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 4:25 PM
Subject: [AT] Tobacco transplanting time


>I took my pup for a walk "up the road" and some of the locals were 
>transplanting tobacco sets.  I had noticed earlier they had "laid by" 
>(listed) the rows. There transplant operation consists of a four row 
>transplanted that carries eight men (two for each row) carried by a big JD 
>tractor (sorry I didn't get the model).  The tractor also has strapped to 
>it three water tanks (one in front and one on each side).  They transplant 
>four rows, skip one "blank balk" and then repeat.  The "blank balk" is to 
>drive a tractor through at harvest time pulling a trailer where the leaves 
>are piled.  Around here tobacco is still manually harvested, fields are too 
>small and the terrain is too hilly for mechanical harvesters like I'm sure 
>Charlie Hill is used to seeing.
> The operation is fascinating to watch, and very similar to what my 
> grandparents did 50 years ago.  Wonder how long they can survive in the 
> new days of tobacco without the price supports.
>
> David
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