Welcome to the Georgia Tobacco Hotline
1-800-659-7288
J. Michael Moore,
Editor
University of Georgia
Extension Agronomist-Tobacco
Topics for this issue include:
Weather
Conditions
Crop Condition
2001 Quota
Auction Designation
President's Tobacco Commission
Disease
Insects
Barn Conversion Retrofit Status
2002 Retrofit Certification Program Approved
Foot and Mouth Disease Precautions
Upcoming
Events and Dates
Weather
Conditions
Temperatures are running nearly average with upper 50s in the evening and mid
80s during the daylight hours. Some areas received up to 13 inches of rain the
last of March before transplanting began. Most of the tobacco area had at least
5 to 6 inches. No significant rainfall has fallen in most of the production
area since early April. Rainfall is 5 to 10 inches behind normal for this time
of the year depending on location. Refer to the University of Georgia Drought
in Georgia Web Site http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/drought/
Crop
Condition
The Georgia tobacco crop was transplanted over approximately a four week period.
Soil conditions were generally very moist during early transplanting and continued
to get drier as time passed. Only 10 percent of the crop has reached the lay-by
stage of growth. Stand establishment was excellent with almost 100 percent stands
commonly reported. 2001
2001
Quota
The 2001Effective Quota for Georgia is 58,171,026 pounds, 16% less than that
for 2000 when heavy production resulted in the sale of 908,561 pounds over the
100 percent level. The 2001 Effective Allotment for Georgia is 26,622 acres.
This is 16.2 percent lower than the 31,338 acres of 2000.
Auction
Designation
Georgia
FSA has announced that 9,731,147 pounds have been designated to be sold on auction
markets in Georgia during the 2001 season. This is an indication that 83.3 percent
of the Georgia effective quota contracted for direct sale at one of the eight
contract receiving points being operated by five tobacco buying companies. This
is similar to the trend for all US flue-cured production areas as approximately
115 million pounds total of the 2001 effective quota has been designated to
auction warehouses across the five states. In 2000, 147 flue-cured auction warehouses
were in operation. Officially, 17 of these have announced that they will not
be operating for the 2001 season. Many of those remaining have very small designations
and additional closings are expected. Auction schedules and numbers of sets
of graders to be utilized to grade the 2001 crop are expected to be finalized
for a vote by the 39 person USDA-AMS Marketing Committee.
President's
Tobacco Commission
The President's Commission researching measures to improve the economic situation
of tobacco farmers and their communities, while protecting public health will
release its final report at a public briefing on May 14, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
EST, at the McKimmon Center, North Carolina State University. A full copy of
the report will be available on Monday morning at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/tobcom/reports.htm
Disease
Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus levels are lower at this stage of growth than in several
recent years. Statewide average incidence levels are estimated at 4 to 6 percent
of plant stand three to four weeks after transplanting. Applications of Admire
or Actigard appear to have reduced the incidence in TSWV in treated crops.
Blue mold is currently present and active in both Florida and North Carolina.
You may follow the progress of this disease using the North American Blue Mold
Forecasting Program web site and looking under Current Forecast http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/bluemold/
Insects
Slight insect pressure has been observed across the Georgia tobacco production
area. Reports of a variety of insect pests have been limited to individual farm
situations. Widespread use of Admire has reduced the pressure from flea beetles
and aphids. However, Budworms, Cutworms, Mole Crickets, Beet Armyworms, Splitworms,
Flea Beetles, and Aphids have all been observed this season, most without substantial
damage to the crop.
Barn
Conversion Retrofit Status
As of May 11, 2001, the Retrofit Reimbursement Program had mailed checks to
reimburse patial expenses by growers for a total of 18,581 barns. Average payments
are running $2,113 per retrofit for average expenses of $3,781. Total reimburesement
payed out amounts to $39,269,832 from total funds amounting to $66.4 million.
Reimbursement applications are being processed at 800 to 1,000 per week. In
order to qualify for reimbursement for retrofitting the retrofit must be installed
in working order by the end of the day on June 30, 2001.
2002
Retrofit Certification Program Approved
USDA has signed-off on a plan for Certification of barn retrofitting requirement
in order to receive price support in 2002. Failure to certify barns as retrofitted
will result in a 50% reduction in price support for any tobacco marketed from
that farm.
Foot
and Mouth Disease Precautions
Foot and Mouth Disease could be a serious threat to the U.S. Livestock Industry.
The U.S. is fortunate in that the disease has not found its way to our shores.
In light of the serious consequences of the disease and the fact that Universities
have many visitors from overseas the following policy will be in place immediately
for all the University of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Production Units:
No U.S. citizen will be admitted to the ADSC Production Units if they have been
in Europe or South America in the last thirty days. No one visiting from a foreign
country will be allowed on the ADSC farms if they have not been in the U.S.
for at least 30 days. Refer to the UGA Foot and Mouth Disease Web Site for more
info: http://www.ces.uga.edu/georgialivestock/issues/footandmouth/
The Frequently Asked Questions and the Links tabs are especially interesting
to read.
Upcoming Events and Dates - (Refer to the Tobacco Calendar) http://www.griffin.peachnet.edu/caes/tobacco/calendar2.html
Thank you for visiting
the Georgia Tobacco Hotline,
presented by the University of Georgia Extension Tobacco Team
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