School me on USDA Grades of Tobacco

[Briar Lee]

Everybody cusses the gubbermint unless they need something from it.

And while the Feds don’t have tobacco price supports anymore, the USDA still grades tobacco.

Tobacco | Agricultural Marketing Service

www.ams.usda.gov

I see where there’s flu cured types and all manner of numbers of grades of tobacco.

Does anyone who has dealt with the USDA tobacco grading system care to school me on it?

If the manufacturers did not have standard grades of tobacco they could buy, and the growers didn’t have a standard to meet, we’d all have pot luck blends, it seems to me.

The had me read Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” back in school.

Ever since then, I’ve seen the need for food inspection.

But don’t we need our tobacco inspected and graded, too?

 

[chilllucky]

You're asking a few different questions here, and I'm not expert enough on any of the subjects you touch on to be able to answer completely.

I can tell you that the grading systems for separating air and flue cured varieties of tobacco into categories for bulk sale are based on stalk position, cured color, and thickness of leaf. An estimate is made as to the nicotine and sugar content based on the grade.

The USDA grading class is about $1600 for a few days of lecture and hands on. It was recommended to me that I take it when I started growing my own tobacco. Sadly, I have not yet had the time.

 

[Briar Lee]

You're asking a few different questions here, and I'm not expert enough on any of the subjects you touch on to be able to answer completely.

I can tell you that the grading systems for separating air and flue cured varieties of tobacco into categories for bulk sale are based on stalk position, cured color, and thickness of leaf. An estimate is made as to the nicotine and sugar content based on the grade.

The USDA grading class is about $1600 for a few days of lecture and hands on. It was recommended to me that I take it when I started growing my own tobacco. Sadly, I have not yet had the time.

You’ve helped me quite a lot, and thank you.

I’ve learned the USDA holds classes to teach grading to tobacco farmers, and they charge a goodly sized fee to defray expenses for that.

My father produced and sold Grade A milk.

If he missed the grade, they classed it Grade C and paid a lot less to Daddy for it.

And even if the milk was Grade A (like it virtually always was) the pay was also based on butterfat content, the more fat the more money.

A commercial tobacco farmer has identical grading goals, it seems.

Thanks again.

 

[chilllucky]

If you haven't already, check out this week's radio show. Mr Reeves gives a much better perspective on the grading system.