Posted on 04/02/2009 3:47:57 PM PDT by Drango
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) For more than a century, the Sharp family of eastern North Carolina has grown tobacco, nicknamed the "golden leaf" for reasons that went beyond the cured plant's rich color.
`snip
"There's nothing else we're doing that comes even close to yielding the profits that tobacco yields."
For generations, tobacco growers were a protected class, as lawmakers across the South defended the golden leaf as stridently as politicians from Michigan and New York do automakers and Wall Street. It remains a huge business: The tobacco crop in North Carolina alone, where farmers produce nearly half the value of the entire U.S. output, was worth $686 million last year.
But lawmakers don't look out for Big Tobacco as they once did. In 2004, Congress eliminated a tobacco quota and price support system that dated to the Depression. ~snip In Raleigh, where there were spittoons North Carolina General Assembly until the mid-1980s and a smoky haze in the halls until a few years ago, House members voted this week in favor of a limited ban on public smoking. ~snip
It's a blow felt in the sandy soil fields of eastern North Carolina that are just OK for sweet potatoes, cotton, soybeans, but fantastic for tobacco. Production dropped by 27 percent to roughly 645 million pounds in 2005, the year after the quota system came to an end, but has slowly recovered in the past few years, boosted by exports and new marketing tactics.
~snip
Growers are also looking to sell their crop overseas, and a group called the U.S. Tobacco Cooperative that buys tobacco from 3,500 growers in five Southeast states has a unit that exports American leaf to China.
~snip
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
(If only we could afford to buy cheese!)
~~~
I bet Drango gets Gubmint Cheeezz...;0)
“Im certainly not poor - but sure dont want to encourage this price gouging, either. (Gotta watch those buy one - get one free sales. They tend to almost double the original price on those.)”
Yep. The buy one get one free sales aren’t always economical. We’ve seen it recently with BJ’s and Produce Junction, around here. Both places being economical and the cheapest for buying food/produce. Prices have gone up around here.
Seen it in restaurants too. Prices have increased dramatically recently.
ROTFALMAO!!!!!
I think we scared him off............
I really don’t know if it’s a he or a she,,,or?!?!
It won’t say what it is,,,
Some SF area folks seen to only want to “take”,,,
They never learn NOT to step/stomp on others rights,,,
“I know better what is good for you!!!”
They stick their looooong nooooozze where it don’t belong
Then Whine when somebody puts a CEEGAR out on the end of
it...;0)
Hmmm I wonder how thunderbird wine goes with that cheese? Since we will be taxed to death on decent wine.
Well, putting more nicotine in cigarettes would encourage smokers to smoke less, exchanging less harmful nicotine for far more harmful other ingredients. Note that cigarette manufacturers try to strictly limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes to encourage smokers to smoke more cigarettes.
An odd secret of nicotine is that because tobacco chewers have higher levels longer in their bodies, that even after they quit chewing tobacco, they are not prone to become addicted to cigarettes.
Sin taxes...they don’t stop with what you hate but “progress” to what you enjoy. Ofcourse, you might be perfect and cheer on all nanny state sin taxes. :)
go away newbie.
I’m proud to be called a commie by those who pimp death or are addicts.
Im proud to be called a commie by those who pimp death or are addicts, or are so ignorant they don’t know which they are. Likely both.
You, sir, are a fool. There are better websites for you than this one. Try DU or Stormfront.
!LMAO!,,,Hi,Pandy,,,
We’ll be down to MD 20/20 soon!!!...;0)
You were once a newbie weren't you? So you hate smokers, hate addicts & newbies.....You are one rude person.
Eric, have you read this yet? Pandy
You’re addicted to Statism, behavior control and Big Government.
Socialism is a dangerous habit. Kills millions.
Quit now for your own good.
Love you tagline. And agree with it.
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