PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – This is shaping up to be a tough year for local tobacco growers.
In Pittsylvania County, growers are dealing with root damage because of all the rain in the spring. The recent hot weather has made the damage worse.
This is the third year in a row growers have had a less than ideal crop because of weather.
“I think that, at the end of the day, the growers are looking at a reduction in income just purely based on our reduced yield potential,” said Pittsylvania County Extension Office Ag and Natural Resource agent Stephen Barts. “When you continually have those back to back poor performing crops, it’s difficult to continue to do what they do.”
He said there is still time, though, for the crop to improve if the weather cooperates.