December 4, 2013
www.gfb.org
Vol. 31 No. 49
GEORGIA TOBACCO COMMISSION TO HOLD ASSESSMENT MEETING The Georgia Tobacco Commission is proposing an increase to the amount tobacco farmers pay at the time of sale to fund research projects that benefit their crop. The commission has scheduled a meeting for all Georgia tobacco growers on Dec. 13 to gauge their support for increasing the current assessment of 30 cents per hundredweight. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the small auditorium at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center. According to Commission Chairman Fred Wetherington, an increase is needed to offset recent declines in research funding. “We either have to cut back on what we actually fund in the future or we’re going to have to raise the assessment if we’re going to keep up with what we’re doing,” said Wetherington, who grows about 500 acres of tobacco each year. Wetherington said the growers’ input from the meeting will guide the commission on whether to make a formal proposal to the Georgia Department of Agriculture as required by law. A referendum would likely be held next year following the formal proposal. Wetherington pointed to successes in combating tomato spotted wilt virus as an example of the importance of the commission’s continued funding of research activities, which he said are needed to continue developing techniques growers can use on their farms. The research will help farmers remain competitive and produce the highest quality leaf possible. “There have been a lot of good practices and chemicals that have helped us in the fight against tomato spotted wilt virus,” Wetherington said. “Georgia was in the lead fighting tomato spotted wilt because it hit our area earliest.” While the amount of tobacco grown in Georgia has declined as the result of a number of factors, it is still an important part of Georgia’s agricultural economy, with approximately 150 growers across 26 South Georgia counties. One of the state’s historically significant crops, tobacco contributes approximately $40 million in gross revenues in those counties. Because total assessments collected to fund the commission are tied to the quantity of tobacco grown and sold in Georgia, funding for the commission’s activities has declined as production has declined along with already reduced state funding for research, Wetherington said. Emerging overseas markets have stabilized the demand for tobacco. As with any other crop, stresses from pests and disease, as well as environmental and political factors, necessitate ongoing research.