Tar Heel growers coming to end of tobacco rows
Oct 24, 2007—North Carolina tobacco continues toward the end of harvest as the state continues in the grip of the worst drought on record.
As of October 22, 97 percent of the flue-cured crop was harvested, behind last year’s estimate and the five-year average. 89 percent had been harvested as of last week as still-warm weather allowed growers to give upper leaves extra time in the field. The drought has devastated the agricultural community with pasturelands taking the worst damage. 75 percent of hay fields are in very poor condition, according to the latest USDA/NASS figures from the Raleigh field office.
Dry conditions are worst in the Piedmont region, with soil moisture rated at 85 percent very short and 15 percent short. The Coastal Plain region is 59 percent rated very short on soil moisture and 37 percent rated short. Only two percent of the state is rated as adequate in soil moisture.
Some rain has been forecast for this week.
Oct 24, 2007—North Carolina tobacco continues toward the end of harvest as the state continues in the grip of the worst drought on record.
As of October 22, 97 percent of the flue-cured crop was harvested, behind last year’s estimate and the five-year average. 89 percent had been harvested as of last week as still-warm weather allowed growers to give upper leaves extra time in the field. The drought has devastated the agricultural community with pasturelands taking the worst damage. 75 percent of hay fields are in very poor condition, according to the latest USDA/NASS figures from the Raleigh field office.
Dry conditions are worst in the Piedmont region, with soil moisture rated at 85 percent very short and 15 percent short. The Coastal Plain region is 59 percent rated very short on soil moisture and 37 percent rated short. Only two percent of the state is rated as adequate in soil moisture.
Some rain has been forecast for this week.
