Tobacco Tobacco has long been the major cash crop in North Carolina and remains one of the state's most profitable farm commodities. Prior to 1919, cotton was the major crop produced in the state. In 2000, growers in the state produced about 408 million pounds of flue-cured and 12.2 million pounds of burley tobacco. Tobacco accounts for about 12 percent of the total value of agricultural production in North Carolina.
Tobacco is one of the most labor intensive crops grown in the state.
From a job standpoint, about one out of every 11 workers in North Carolina depends on tobacco for their livelihood. Tobacco directly and indirectly employs more than 280,000 North Carolinians. For the foreseeable future, tobacco will remain one of North Carolina's most profitable crops and a substantial contributor to the value of farm production. Increased pressure on tobacco will continue to prompt Tar Heel farmers to diversify and seek alternative crops. Cotton acreage planted reached a high of 1.8 million acres in 1926.