Tobacco makes comeback
Dec 8, 2008—Tobacco production in the United States is making a comeback of sort, reports the Ashville Citizen-Times, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
In 2005, the first year without the price-support program, production of all tobacco varieties fell 27 percent to 640 million pounds. This year, production climbed to 805 million pounds—within 10 percent of the 2004 level of 882 million pounds.
The recent increase has coincided with increasing consolidation of farms. There are fewer operations, but the remaining farms are larger than before.
The USDA valued 2007 tobacco production at $1.3 billion, down from $1.75 billion in 2004. Domestic cigarette sales continue falling by between 3 and 4 percent per year.
Dec 8, 2008—Tobacco production in the United States is making a comeback of sort, reports the Ashville Citizen-Times, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
In 2005, the first year without the price-support program, production of all tobacco varieties fell 27 percent to 640 million pounds. This year, production climbed to 805 million pounds—within 10 percent of the 2004 level of 882 million pounds.
The recent increase has coincided with increasing consolidation of farms. There are fewer operations, but the remaining farms are larger than before.
The USDA valued 2007 tobacco production at $1.3 billion, down from $1.75 billion in 2004. Domestic cigarette sales continue falling by between 3 and 4 percent per year.
