Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1963-01-30

NhhiS uhS SdiiiS pcTlOa,
major gains have taken place
in other flue-cured tobacco
producing countries such as
Rhodesia-Nyasaland, our big
sest competitor in world trade.
where the 1862 harvest was
double their average Ior tn
years 1850 to 1854. Substantial;
increases have also been r,
/ corded in Canada, India, ia
pan, Brazil, Pakistan, the Phil
lippines, and Australia.
/ World demand and purch-
asses are growing, but actual
.NportS oi ilur-cured tobacco
from the United States hav,
not changed 81 eni!Icantiy fro,.
the level recorded in the carl
! ;9oO's. Dun ins the same per
iod, RhoucsiI Increased h,
exports by appi"Aimatcl,
270'.. Exports from lnJia all
! Canada have also risen sharp
~ since 1850.
This indicates trouble. !
Indicates that we have iaileu
and failed miSeraDly, To main-
tain our relative position III
the world export market.
These developments are I'll
major concern Ia us and
should sound warning thai
the future Tor our ilue-cureU
tobacco is in jeopardy. Flue-
cured tobacco interests are
confronted with an uncertain.
haZardladcn future: yet, if this
problem is admitted and then
met with determination, intel
ligence, and collective action.
we can move back into the
market and regain for the
southeastern states the lead
ing and increasing place in
supplying quality tobacco for
both the foreign and domestic
markets.
"No other country in the
world has better soil, climate,
and knowhow for producing
highly competitive flue-cured
tobacco. The only catch is that
we have not been taking full
advantage of all our putenti-
ais. Since we have neglected
10 capitalize on these potent
ais, We now find ourselves
confronted with the urgent
need to regroup, evaluate our
present position, develop plans,
and take Immediate steps to-
ward regaining our proper
tlOnate share of the worlds
ilue-cured tobacco market.
Foreign and domestic pur-
chascrS have recently called
our attention 10 the quality
deterioration i'll our flue-cur-
ed leaf. These complaints have
particularly mentioned the
lack Of aroma in our leaf 81
recent years. Several import
ant factors have been stressed.
on numerous occasions. as
contributing 10 the deteriora-
ton of our flue-cured quality.
Many of these complains ap-
pear to be related to, or aSSo-
ciated with, the natural and
strong incentive i'll the past
few years toward producing
higher per-acre yield. The
factors often mentioned in
clude:
!. The use OF certain high
yielding varieties which do
not, under most farm condi-
tons, produce leaf of deSira-
BILE flavor and aroma.
2. The excessive Use of fert-
ilizerS.
3. The production of an ex-
ceSSive number of leaves per
acre either through spacing too
closely or too-high topping or
a combination of the two.
4. Excessive irrigation.
5. Harvesting immature to-
bacco; and many other such
factors.
Il do not know how much
merit there is to be found in
any of these complaints but il
is my firm conviction that this
problem will not be solved un-
til we have an understanding
and clear definition of quality
in tobacco.
People i'm the flue-Cured to-
bacco producing states Of Flor
ida, South Carolina, Georgia.
North Carolina and Virginia
can share in the expanding
world tobacco market il they
improve the quality OF their
flue-cured tobacco leaf and
widen the gap between the
quality Of their tobaccos and
that of their competitors. We.
of the southeastern states, can
be effective in promoting out
flue-cured leaf and insuring
its future, both at home and
abroad. only if we make sure
that IL possesses those char
acteristics for which consum-
er demand is greatest.
"Our answer is research. Re-
search provides a means thrn-