[Leica] a new one

[rclark01 at comcast.net (Robert Clark)]

There all different types of tobacco in production that are known by 
names like flue cured, Maryland, and Burley tobacco.  I'm not very 
knowledgeable about Maryland and Burley, but the flue cured tobacco 
production in the USA has been reduced primarily because other national 
can produce it for much lower costs.  That's the type of tobacco that 
the quota system supports and NC is a MAJOR tobacco growing state.  In 
fact, I know that Philip Morris contributes substantially to research at 
agricultural colleges and back in 1982 when I attended NC State, one of 
my required courses was Tobaco Production.  Wonder if that has changed?  
What you are saying about China is true....in the last five years, I 
have watched large tractor trailers being loaded with 225 pound sheets 
of cured tobacco headed towards the closest port for shipment to China.  
I don't have any figures to cite, but tobacco sales throughout the world 
seem to be stable, if not increasing.  However, along with the USA, the 
EU has severely limited the advertisement of tobacco.  I enjoy watching 
Formula 1 racing and a substantial amount of sponsorship dollars flow to 
the teams from tobacco companies.  This is changing, though as some EU 
companies no longer allow tobacco related livery on the cars.  I believe 
that televised tobacco commercials in the USA ended in 1970 but Joe 
Camel still delivers....

Robert

Jeffery Smith wrote:

>Until this thread, I didn't realize that tobacco production had died
>down as much has it has. Several years ago, I read that the US tobacco
>growers were simply going to export most of it to China (whose
>inhabitants seem to have a genetic composition that allows them to smoke
>heavily and still live to the ripe old age of 90).
>
>Jeffery Smith
>New Orleans, LA
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org
>[mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Robert
>Clark
>Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 6:16 PM
>To: Leica Users Group
>Subject: Re: [Leica] a new one
>
>Not LUG related but tied to smoking......One thing that he fought 
>furiously for was the federal tobacco program that maintained a certain 
>level of production so as to keep prices up.  If you didn't adhere to 
>the federal limits on production, you were not allowed to sell your 
>crop.  Beginning back into post depression days, the government policy 
>was to determine a quota for each farm that grew tobacco. The quota, in 
>pounds, became a very valuable commodity among tobacco farmers and it 
>was sold or leased based on the quota market.  With increasing tobacco 
>production in other parts of the world, that quota system still exists 
>but the feds reduce a farms quota each year to keep prices up.  Can you 
>believe a system like this was supported by one of the most ardent 
>conservatives who, in every other way, believed a free market was the 
>way to do? Ole Jesse...not many contradictions with him but boy was this
>
>one...and he kept getting re-elected time after time partially because 
>he fought to preserve this system.  Having been raised in eastern NC on 
>one of those quota based farms, I know what that meant economically to 
>the region and the state but artificial production systems sheild 
>producers from market forces.  My life in those years revolved around 
>the "golden leaf" as it was and still is known to this day.  My father 
>no longer farms tobacco but he owns quota that he leases to other 
>growers and no one in my father's family have ever smoked although both 
>of my mother's parents died of smoking related health issues...I can't 
>believe this relic will continue but as with many governmental programs,
>
>they continue to be a bargaining chip in the political process.
>
>Just a little .02 from a guy with three agriculture degrees!
>
>Robert Clark
>Lancaster, PA
>
>sdp35 wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Yes, Jesse was from The Old North State.  Loved by some, detested by 
>>not quite as many.  But you always knew exactly where he stood on 
>>anything...
>>
>>On Apr 11, 2004, at 2:11 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Wasn't the very black-toothed Jessie Helms from NC? Not a great
>>>      
>>>
>poster
>  
>
>>>boy for tobacco interests.
>>>
>>>Jeffery Smith
>>>New Orleans, LA
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org
>>>[mailto:lug-bounces+jls=runbox.com@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
>>>      
>>>
>David
>  
>
>>>Mason
>>>Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 9:11 AM
>>>To: Leica Users Group
>>>Subject: Re: [Leica] a new one
>>>
>>>Tina Manley wrote:
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>>I'm back after a week in Kentucky. There seem to be more die-hard
>>>>>smokers in Kentucky (where lots of tobacco is grown) than even in
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>North
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>>Carolina (where all of the tobacco companies are based).
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>Actually there are no more tobacco companies in N.C. They are all
>>>      
>>>
>gone.
>  
>
>>>We still have loads of growers and one or two auction houses left(if
>>>      
>>>
>you
>  
>
>>>have never seen a tobacco auction - you should!). Still, N.C. acts
>>>      
>>>
>like
>  
>
>>>a tobacco state despite the massive decline in tobacco business.
>>>      
>>>
>There
>  
>
>>>are no towns with smoking bans in N.C. and it is generally considered
>>>      
>>>
>a
>  
>
>>>'public right' outside of the major cities.
>>>
>>>Here is a small anecdote - when I was in high school ('87) we had a
>>>smoking section outside (years before there were ashtrays inside the
>>>school halls). Keep in mind that my hometown was the number one
>>>      
>>>
>grower
>  
>
>>>of tobacco in the World in the 70s. At some point the school
>>>administration decided to close the smoking section as it was getting
>>>too popular - when they did we actually had some parents coming out
>>>      
>>>
>to
>  
>
>>>protest the action. The pressure grew so large that they opened it
>>>      
>>>
>back
>  
>
>>>up. I remember signs like "my son picks it, he should smoke it." I've
>>>been told that it was successfully closed a few years later - but
>>>      
>>>
>that
>  
>
>>>is where I grew up!
>>>
>>>Being a non-smoker, the one positive I take from growing up in the
>>>      
>>>
>area
>  
>
>>>is my memory of the smell of cured tobacco during auction time. The
>>>whole town smelled of it when all those farmers brought their crops
>>>      
>>>
>in
>  
>
>>>to sell. It is a sweet, rich smell that I LOVE - its too bad people
>>>      
>>>
>ruin
>  
>
>>>that by burning it :)
>>>
>>>Dave
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>  
>