CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 01/16/02

Higher Quota May Not Mean More Tobacco

The federal government will allow Georgia farmers to grow more tobacco in 2002. But that doesn't mean they will, say University of Georgia experts.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has set the national basic quota for this year at 582 million pounds, about 33 million pounds more than in 2001.

"Looks like we'll have a 6-percent increase in the basic quota that can be produced in Georgia," said J. Michael Moore, a tobacco scientist with the UGA Extension Service.

But there won't be 6 percent more acres of tobacco grown or sold in Georgia this year. The basic quota is only the starting point.

Last year, growers sold 3 percent more than the 2001 quota. "That 3 percent comes off this year," Moore said. So, theoretically, this year's increase will actually be 3 percent.

But this is still misleading. Growers have "quite a bit" of 2001 tobacco that hasn't been sold yet, Moore said.

Because of the overselling in 2001 and the tobacco left on farms, there's a good chance the 2002 crop will actually be less than in 2001, Moore said.

Georgia growers will plant between 26,000 and 27,000 acres of tobacco this year.

Tobacco is grown on only a small portion of Georgia's 10 million acres of farmland. But it's still a profitable crop, said Bill Givan, a UGA Extension Service economist. In terms of its farm-gate value, it's the state's third-leading field crop, bringing in $120 million in 2000.

The average price support for the 2002 crop will be $1.656 per pound, or 0.4 cents per pound less than last year.

However, growers should get the same amount of return for the crop this year, Givan said. Production costs should be slightly less in 2002, making the net return on investment about the same as last year.

USDA figures the tobacco quota by adding cigarette makers' buying intentions to the three-year tobacco export average, then subtracting the leaf held by the Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation.

Stabilization, as it is known, directs the price support program for tobacco under contractual agreement with the USDA.

Brad Haire is the former news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
J. Michael Moore
Bill Givan
Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles
The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.
uga commencement CAES News
CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”
A student harvests red clover at UGArden. CAES News
UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms CAES News
Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell
During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.
2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education. CAES News
Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras
An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.