There will be farmers go out of business. It's been a gradual thing. Raised by Europeans in Indiana even before the state was carved from a territory in 1816, tobacco has been a staple cash crop in southeastern Indiana for generations. Farmers can grow it profitably on tiny plots of an acre or less, and its labor demands make it a crop of choice for families willing to tackle the dirty, time-consuming harvesting and stripping of leaves. But Schafer is bracing for the Feb. 1 quota announcement, fearing it will further chip away at his way of life.
American growers are under siege both at home and abroad.
Government analyst Tom Capehart attributes part of the decline to skyrocketing prices. Forty-six state attorneys general, including Indiana's, participated in the settlement. Tobacco companies are using less American leaf and importing more foreign leaf to cut costs. As a result, exports from the United States are down nearly a third from a 1996 peak of 243 billion pieces. Pausing before selling bales of tobacco at auction in Madison this month, the Switzerland County farmer blamed anti-tobacco sentiment for destroying the fabric of rural life.