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Tobacco Crops Holding on Despite Dry, Hot Summer

For burley tobacco farmers in Kentucky and Tennessee, an average crop being forecast is a big relief.  A few weeks ago, the crop was on the brink of ruin from extreme heat and drought.  Now, tobacco specialists say much of the burley has gone threw a growth spurt, thanks to recent rains. 

Farmers are just beginning to harvest tobacco.  Central Kentucky farmer Doug Langley said Thursday he worried that half his burley would be lost due to the 100-degree-plus temperatures last month.  Now he's hoping to squeeze a profit from his burley, unlike his corn crop, which he calls his worst ever. 

University of Kentucky agricultural economist Will Snell says with a decent curing season, this year's burley crop could fetch higher prices than a year ago.

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