The Skyland Post

Start Movement To
Establish A Burley
Tobacco Market Here

County Farm Agent C. J. Rich
Makes Preliminary Investigation in Raleigh.

Brief News
POUNDAGE INCREASING

According to recent estimates,
farmers in Ashe and surrounding
Blue Ridge mountain counties raised
a great deal more burley tobacco last
year than they ever did before and
with the view of providing a more
convenient market for their gold-
brown weed, a number of local business
men, farmers and County
Farm Agent C. J. Rich have been
discussing ways and means by
which a tobacco market might be
established in West Jefferson.

The 1937 crop in Ashe county will
total about 250,000 pounds as compared
with 191,862 pounds in 1936;
farmers in Alleghany raised around
68,000 pounds in 1936 and in 1937.
the estimate is about 100,000
pounds; Watauga produced 126,252
pounds in 1936 and about 150,000
pounds in 1937; Avery had 23,000
pounds in 1936 and around 40,000
last year. In other words, according
to the estimate there will be an
increase of nearly 150,000 pounds in
these four counties, or a total of
nearly 550,000 pounds for 1937.

To sell their tobacco it is now
necessary for the farmers in these
adjoining counties to go to Abingdon,
Va., Asheville, Johnson City.
Morristown, or Greenville, Tenn.
All five of these markets are a long
ways from this section and as a result
it is an expensive proposition
to haul their tobacco this distance.
Due to blocked sales it is frequently
necessary for them to remain
over one or two days to complete
their sales.

They contend that Ashe county
is the logical center for this Blue
Ridge area; that West Jefferson is
readily accessible to farmers in all
four counties and that it would be
an ideal place for a new burley tobacco
market.

According to a letter which Mr.
Rich received Tuesday from W. P.
Hedrick, senior marketing specialist
of the State Department of Agriculture,
however, the chances of securing
a market at this time do not
appear favorable. The letter stated
in part:

"The first thing that is necessary
is warehouse facility large enough
to handle a sufficient amount of tobacco
to justify the expense of
building them, or if they are built,
to pay the interest on the investment
made. Roughly, the floor
space should be about 20,000 square
feet for each of two houses.

"After the houses are assured.
the companies are asked to arrange
to send buyers. Naturally they ask
how much tobacco the market
would sell. I am informed that the
companies are not interested in
sending buyers to markets that cannot
guarantee at least 3,000,000
pounds.

Mr. Rich and others are going to
continue their investigation.

The Asheville market has sold
nearly 5,000,000 pounds this year,
breaking an all-time poundage record,
for an average of about 23
cents. The Virginia and Tennessee
markets are also reporting record
poundage, with their average ranging
around 23 cents.

During recent weeks, however,
prices have dropped considerably
and are now averaging about 17
cents per pound.