[AT] Tobacco transplanting time

[charlie hill]

The quota system had to go so the farmers would have a chance to compete 
with foreign raised tobacco.  They grow flue cured tobacco in Africa that is 
every bit as good quality as what we grow here.  In fact a guy that grew up 
about 10 miles from our farm moved to Africa in the late 60's to grow 
tobacco.   Those African farmers as well as farmers in Asia and other areas 
have the advantage of cheap labor and no government controls on their 
production.  Now at least our guys don't have to worry about the government 
control any longer.   Also they no longer need the price support because 
they ( the ones that survived ) now have a contract with one of the tobacco 
companies.  It is all around better it is just different and as you said it 
will be tough on some during the transition.

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 7:21 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Tobacco transplanting time


>I can't agree with your thoughts more - The old system was rife with 
>potential for abuse.  I only worry about the changeover - the switching of 
>systems makes for unusual times - not really free market but not really 
>protected either. Most of the local farmland is farmed on lease by two sets 
>of brothers (they are cousins btw).  One set seems to be a little more 
>thoughtful about the future than the other but I see good signs from both 
>sets.  Neither is enamored of "the latest and greatest" but they aren't 
>afraid of investing in things that will help them produce more for less.  I 
>think they will survive the changeover.
> The transition is the tough thing.
> I keep hearing about the tobacco companies buying leaf from non-domestic 
> suppliers - and the price differential is substantial.
> To me, this points up the farm subsidies in general - for good or bad, I 
> don't know.
> Tract housing is beginning to show up here also.  Evil :)
>
>
> David
>
> charlie hill wrote:
>> 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
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