Agriculture & Natural Resources : Agriculture Enterprise
Tobacco
Tobacco has Traditonally been Kentucky’s most valuable agricultural commodity, generally accounting for around 40-50% of the state’s annual total crop value and nearly 25% of the state’s total agricultural cash receipts. These returns were produced on just over 1% of the total farmland (111,000 acres) in Kentucky and on a large number of small family farms (nearly 30,000 in 2002). However, according to the latest available census data (2007), only 8,113 farms in the state now grow on the crop on nearly 88,000 acres. In Hardin County cash receipts from this crop generated some $8.5 million dollars; however now even though some 1,734 farms still have tobacco quotas, just over 700 acres is raised with a crop value of less than $2.5 million dollars. This loss of agricultural income is multiplied in the more than 100 counties that grown tobacco; thus resulting in a tremendous economic loss to Kentucky’s economy. A significant portion of these dollars was used to pay off debt, support ag diversification efforts, and purchase goods and services in the local economy. There is currently no other legal crop to replace this loss of tobacco income in Kentucky.
Tobacco Resources:
2011-2012 Tobacco Production Guide
2011 Kentucky Burley and Dark Tobacco Fungicide Guide
KY Tobacco Research and Development Center
Management of Tobacco Float Systems
2010 Tobacco Sensitivity Budget
Hot Topics
Examining 2011 Burley Contract Accouncements (March 2011)
Ridomil Gold is now approved for use in tobacco transplant water
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