Drought, disease and low prices hurt Southern tobacco growers

ALBANY - Southern flue-cured tobacco growers, plagued by drought, a rampant plant disease, untimely rainfall and low prices, have suffered through one of their worst seasons in memory and lost millions. <br> <br> Tobacco sales end in about two weeks in Georgia, but in Virginia and North Carolina, where some drought-stricken fields are two to three weeks behind schedule, markets may remain open through mid-November. <br> <br> Georgia&#39;s crop was 99 percent harvested this week, compared with 70 percent for North Carolina. <br> <br> A tobacco specialist with the University of Georgia&#39;s Extension Service, Michael Moore, said it&#39;s been one thing after another. He said the top of the list is the worst damage from tomato spotted wilt on tobacco in the U.S. in the history of the crop. <br> <br> Moore said Georgia growers should have sold about 60 million pounds of the golden leaf, but probably will sell only 50 million pounds or less, largely because of spotted wilt. <br> <br> Spread by tiny insects known as thrips, the disease has been a problem in Georgia since 1985, but it returned with a vengeance this year and also intensified in Virginia and the Carolinas. <br> <br> Spotted wilt kills plants at random, leaving spaces in the tobacco rows. This causes a fertilizer overload for the remaining plants. The ``green effect&#39;&#39; prevents plants from ripening on time and can lead to undesirable, harsh tobacco.