J. Michael Moore, University of Georgia Extension Agronomist-Tobacco
Georgia Tobacco Market Report
South Georgia Weather/Crop Status
Diseases
Insect Problems
Baling Tobacco
MH Residues
According to the USDA AMS Tobacco Market News Service for the week ending August 13, volume of sales remained light during the fourth wee of Georgia-Florida flue-cured tobacco auctions. Growers in northern Georgia are now starting the harvest after being delayed by earlier rainfall. Florida and southern Georgia producers have sold most of their lower stalk tobacco and are holding their middle stalk offerings until a better price is offered.
Loan receipts increased this week, quality of marketings held firm, and grade bid averages improved. Next week's sales opportunity is 11,933,900 pounds. Through this week, only 20 percent of the effective quota has been sold at auction.
Gross sales by states and type follow:
| State/Type | Weekly Pounds |
Weekly Average |
Season Pounds |
Season Average |
| Florida | 1,050,257 | $152.19 | 4,332,912 | $144.18 |
| Georgia | 5,051,505 | $146.95 | 19,761,792 | $146.02 |
| Total Type 14 | 6,101,762 | $147.86 | 24,094,704 | $145.69 |
The general average of $147.86 for the week was up $2.85 from the preceding week. After 15 sales days last season, 38.3 million pounds had averaged $157.31 per hundred. This week's resales amounted to 645,487 pounds, raising the season total to 2,193,970 pounds.
Of the overall bid averages this week, 62 percent were up, 19 percent declined, and 19 percent held steady. In heavy volume sales, most lugs gained $1 to $3, while nondescript reported larger increases - some as much as $22 per hundred. Primings, on the other hand, were mixed and varied mainly $1 to $6, with gains and losses fairly evenly divided. The bulk of sales ranged between $131 and $162 per hundred.
Sales classified as good quality or better held at 11 percent for the week, with 63 percent fair and 18 percent low quality. Lugs (X) took over as the largest group at 50 percent, following by primings (P) at 28, nondescript (N) at 8, cutters (C) at 8, leaf (B) at 4, and smoking leaf (H) at 1 percent. Maturity of offerings was a little lower, as unripe and immature grades combined for 26 percent of all auctions - up 8 points.
Producers placed 11.6 percent of sales into the Stabilization Corporation this week, increasing the season take to 7.3 percent. At the same point last year, loan receipts totaled 6.8 percent of gross sales.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service lowered the Type 14 production estimate to 98,950,000 pounds in their August release, down 325,000 pounds from July.
Auction bid averages per hundred pounds on several U.S. grades and comparisons follow:
| U.S. Grade | Auction Bid | Change from Previous Week | Change from Previous Year |
| X4L | $158 | Up $1 | Up $3 |
| X4F | $158 | Up $1 | Up $2 |
| X5F | $152 | Up $3 | Up $1 |
| X4V | $154 | Up $1 | Up $3 |
| X4KM | $155 | Up $1 | Up $3 |
| P4L | $149 | Up $1 | Unchanged |
| P4F | $147 | Down $2 | Down $4 |
| P5F | $133 | Up $6 | Down $6 |
| N1XO | $131 | Up $22 | Up $2 |
Questions? Contact:
USDA AMS Tobacco Market News
1306 Annapolis Drive
Raleigh, NC 27608
919-856-4550
Market News Web Page: http://www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews.htm
Soil moisture conditions are mostly adequate for the tobacco producing area of Georgia. Scattered thunder showers have provided repeated rainfall of varying amounts over most of the area. According to the Georgia Agricultural Statistics Service and county agent estimates, as of August 17, 57 percent of the Georgia tobacco crop had been harvested compared to 86 percent this time last year and 78 percent as an average of the past five years. Four percent of the crop was rated excellent, 39 percent good, 44 percent fair, 9 percent poor, and 4 percent very poor.
Southern Stem Rot (Sclerotium rolfsii) has been more obvious this season than in any recent year. Losses began soon after transplanting and have continued to increase throughout the harvest period. Often, the earliest occurrences were in crops that followed vegetables or other crops affected by Southern Stem Rot, or in fields where last year's crop residue was not buried by moldboard plowing.
In many cases, plants dying from Southern Stem Rot have been mistaken for black shank because of the leaf yellowing and death of the plant. However, the root systems remain healthy until the death of the plant. Infected plants are scattered singly though the field or occur in small groups. The fungus produces small, round sclerotia on the brown surface of the lower stalk. These structures are white at first, turning brown with maturity, and resemble mustard seed. The pith is not usually disced as expected with black shank.
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus levels appear to have peaked at 6 to 8 percent of plant stand.
Hornworms and Tobacco Splitworms continue to be the major insects affecting Georgia tobacco. Growers have had problems controlling both. Splitworms are widespread and have resulted in yield reductions in some crops and reduced quality in others.
At the end of last week, approximately 750 bales had been sold on Georgia warehouse floors. Few bales have had problems with excess moisture, but larger numbers of bales have suffered from low quality tobacco resulting from drought and heat earlier in the season.
MH residues appear to be up for the 1998 early season. With 32 samples analyzed for the season in three belts, MH residue levels are averaging 179 ppm. Georgia-Florida type 14 is averaging 182 ppm, South Carolina and North Carolina border belt type 13 is averaging 66 ppm, with eastern North Carolina belt type 12 averaging 197 ppm. Early high residue levels directly reflect the dry weather conditions at the time of MH application with limited rainfall to wash off surface residues. Residues of future marketings should be expected to drop as later harvests that received rainfall are presented for auction.
Thank you for calling the Georgia Tobacco Hotline, presented by the University of Georgia Extension Tobacco Team and brought to you by the makers of Orthene 75S.
