The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-03-05
N6ttoway Dark
Tobacco Men
Voice Complaints

ceComplaints
Editors Note: The following
story is reprinted from h e
Blackstone C0urier-Record. for
the Information of dark tobacco
growers in the Herald area)
A group OF No.toway county
dark-fired tobacco growers Mon
day night voiced their Com
plants about the marketing Of
their crops and about the prices
they have been receiving for
leaf. In an informal discussion
with A. T. Lassiter, manager of
the Virginia Agricultural Mar
keting Association. at No.toway
Courthouse the growers lower
ed the BOOM on present day
marketing practices. Govern
ment grading and complained
about a general lack of COM
petition or the auction floor.
The meeting was sponsored by
the Nottoway County Farm
Bureau and was attended by a
small group described by Farm
Bureau president P e e 7
Harris Fitzgerald as some of the
cream Of the dark-fired grow
ers. Also present was T. B..
Hall, Jr.. manager Of the Viz
GINA Dark Fired Tobacco Grow
ers Marketing Association.
Average Price Low
Willie B. Irby. a large grow
er south of Blackstone, pointed
out the fact that in e t
years dark-fired tobacco has
been averaging less than the
government support price. a
condition he termed as "ab-
surd." The government average
support price for the crop just
sold was $50 20 per hundr ed
pounds. The average price paid
for the crop was 1892 per hun
dred or some 28c below the gov
eminent average.
IT seems absurd" Irby said,
"when we have a commodity
selling less than the support
price. The grade on tobacco is
not right When tobacco doesn't
average the support price. 1t S
not right but as long as we
growers sit back and take it the
situation is not going to inn
prove. the grower declared.
Hall said that lack of compe-
tition on warehouse floors caus-
ed by a lack Of useage a n d
strong competition from abroad
has hurt the price Of Tyne q to-
bacco. If volume gets any lowe!
some warehouses Will have to
close he said. Commenting on z
statement from one grower that
farmers have never been able
to find out what use is made
OF their crop or to get an idea
of the demand, Hail said that
domestic tobacco companies
won't tell what they use the leaf
for.
Growers Have No Say
N. Burton Allen. a quality
grower from west Of Blackstone.
said the prices paid for dark
tobacco do not Justify any in
crease III volume He complain
ed that on an average the grow
ers would have been better off
i'll recent years if they had turn
ed their crops over 10 the gov
ernnent pool. A few years ago
Allen said tobacco companies
told farmers not to put their to-
bacco in the soil bank. h a t
they needed the Leaf. The next
season there was no competition
on the floor for the leaf they
said they had to have.
Complaining that the growers
have no say about the marketing
of their crop Allen said, we
read in the paper when the mar
ket Will open, how long it will
run and when it viii close. The
growers should have some say, :
he declared.
Allen also said that often one
tobacco company Will get a buy
er for another company to buy
for him instead Of buying the
tobacco himself.
We are paying to have an
auction sale but we are not get
ting a real auction. There are
times when only one buyer is
buying We'd be better off if
We didn't sell at auction" Allen
told Mr.. LaSsiter.
Grading Scored
The growers complained of
grading practices and agreed
that government grading is low