Tobacco harvest is winding down with slightly more than one week of harvest left in the field in a few places around the state. Growers are generally finding that in-spite of the damage from drought, Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Black Shank their marketing cards are getting filled and yields are amounting up to more than most of us thought earlier in the season. Tobacco quality has not been as good as desired, but not as bad as expected either.

Grower thoughts are turning to peanuts and cotton harvest and fears of possible problems with excessive rain and wind from hurricanes which may pass this way. Rainfall from Tropical Storm Gordon which came through this weekend covered most of the Georgia tobacco production area with an average of 2 inches of rainfall to end the harvest season on a wet note.

Following is the report of the USDA Market News Service for Week No. 7

VALDOSTA, GA USDA FEDERAL-STATE GEORGIA-FLORIDA FLUE-CURED TOBACCO, TYPE 14 WEEK NO. 7 WEEKLY SUMMARY FOR WEEK ENDING THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2000

A strong demand continued for Georgia-Florida flue-cured tobacco during the seventh week of sales. Over two-thirds of the grade bid averages advanced this week, while loan receipts remained light. However, quality of marketings was slightly lower. Volume was heavy, as all of the sales opportunity was utilized. Through this week, almost 57 percent of the effective quota has been sold at auction. Growers will have an opportunity to sell 9,583,000 pounds next week.

Gross Sales by States and Type follow:

The overall weekly average of $185.19 per hundred was up 79 cents from week number six. At the same point last year, 46.8 million pounds had returned $163.92 per hundred. Resales totaled 1,114,566 pounds or 10.1 percent of sales this week, and 5,125,422 pounds or 10.1 percent for the season.

Nonauction sales reported through September 14, by states were: Florida 173,318 pounds; Georgia 549,823 pounds; North Carolina 12,738,769 pounds; South Carolina 1,993,875 pounds; and Virginia 3,542,167 pounds.

Bid averages for ripe leaf and smoking leaf grades were steady to $1 higher, and brought from $185 to $188 per hundred. Unripe leaf marketings were up $1 to $3 in most cases, and sold between $180 and $188 per hundred.

In addition, larger increases were noted for light volume mid and lower stalk offerings. No price difference was distinguished between bales and sheets this week. Fair and low quality tobacco combined, rose 6 percentage points to make up 88 percent of all auctions. The only other significant quality was good at 10 percent.

About 95 percent of the volume came from the leaf (B) and smoking leaf (H) groups. From a maturity standpoint, mellow tobacco accounted for 8 percent of sales, ripe 70, mature was less than 1, unripe 19, and immature 1 percent.

Loan receipts continued their downward trend this week, as just 2.8 percent of sales was accepted by the Flue-Cured Stabilization Corporation. The season-to-date figure dropped to 9.4 percent, compared with 9.9 percent last year.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service set the Type 14 production estimate at 78,005,000 pounds - up 4,255,000 pounds from August. Total Flue-Cured production was increased to 597,055,000 pounds - up 11,305,000 pounds.

Auction bid averages per hundred pounds on several U. S. grades and comparisons follow:

Questions? Contact:
USDA AMS TOBACCO MARKET NEWS
1306 Annapolis Drive, Raleigh, NC 27608
(919) 856-4550

Market News Web Page
The daily and weekly sales schedules for the 2000 Georgia - Florida Markets can be found at the following URL. http://www.ams.usda.gov/marketnews.htm

Excellence in Tobacco Production Award Nominees Sought

Applications are now being accepted through local County Extension Agents for the Excellence in Tobacco Production Awards and Recognition Program.

Two deserving Georgia tobacco farmers will be recognized for their record of tobacco production excellence at a luncheon on November 28, 2000 in Tifton. Recipients must be between 21 and 40 years old and receive at least 75 percent of their total income from farming and must be actively involved in the production of flue-cured tobacco during the current and previous calendar years. Nominees must have demonstrated leadership ability and financial stability. Nominations are limited to one per county.

Nominations should be made through the local County Extension Agent. A typed and fully completed nomination form is required. County leaders; especially ag lenders, tobacco warehousemen, Farm Bureau Boards and Extension Advisory Committees should be involved in this process.

Nomination forms are due from the County Extension Agent with his/her signature to the state Tobacco Extension Agronomist's office by October 20, 2000. State winners will be determined and will be recognized with a cash award and plaque at an Awards Luncheon on November 28, 2000 at the RDC in Tifton and at a dinner on Jekyll Island on December 2, 2000.

Please contact your local County Extension Agent for nomination forms or receive further information. Thank you for your efforts to submit quality nominees.

MH Residues

As of the September 15, 2000 MH residue report, with 86 samples analyzed for the Tobacco Industry Leadership Group;
MH residue levels average 81 ppm across all belts.
Georgia-Florida type 14 is averaging 90 ppm.
South Carolina type 13 stands at 85 ppm.
North Carolina Border Belt type 13 is averaging 65 ppm.
North Carolina Eastern belt type 12 is averaging 76ppm.
North Carolina Old Belt type 11 is averaging 118 ppm.
Virginia Old Belt samples have not been
analyzed and released from the laboratory.

Upcoming Events and Dates - (Refer to the Tobacco Calendar)

Georgia Tobacco Variety Display. Tobacco from two on-farm Regional Variety Farm Tests of 13 candidate varieties will be displayed for company evaluations at Alma Brightleaf Warehouse in Alma on September 21, 2000. Along with the Farm Test Display will be tobacco from the Regional Small Plot Test and the Georgia Official Variety Test grown at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton. In addition to the tobacco company personnel who will evaluate the candidate varieties, growers will be interested in comparing samples of tobacco from released varieties which they may be growing or considering growing.

Georgia Tobacco Commission Reaffirmation Voting Period, September 15 - October 14, 2000. Ballots will be mailed to all growers and should be returned by the deadline. Grower assessments are important sources of funding for tobacco Research and Extension projects at the University of Georgia. For more information call 1.800.425.7675.

Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, Moultrie, Georgia, October 17,18,19, 2000. A number of heat exchanger manufacturers are scheduled to exhibit. For information on the show call 912.985.1968. http://www.sunbeltexpo.com/

Georgia Excellence In Tobacco Production Seminar and Awards Luncheon, November 28, 2000, RDC Auditorium, Tifton, GA.
EITP SEMINAR will feature results of current research, along with production, curing and marketing information and a display of cured leaf from the Georgia Official Variety Test.
EITP AWARDS LUNCHEON: Two young tobacco producers will be recognized for their record of excellence in tobacco production during a luncheon program.
HEAT EXCHANGER SHOW: 1:30 pm until 4:00 pm under the RDC covered expo shelter.
For more information call 912.386.7498.
(Refer to Barn Conversion Website for Reimbursement Information)

Georgia Farm Show, Alma Bright Leaf Warehouse, January 9,10,11, 2001. For information on the show call 919.380.0780.

Thank you for visiting the Georgia Tobacco Hotline,
presented by the University of Georgia Extension Tobacco Team
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