RECENT GRADE CHANGES 



The most recent revisions of flue-cured grade standards, published in the 

 April 25, 1977 Federal Register, were adopted to encourage farmers to do a 

 better job of preparing tobacco for market and help return American tobacco to 

 its former high position in world market demand. 



In the flue-cured area, manual labor is giving way to modern harvesting and 

 curing methods. With the current trend toward mechanization, the quantity of 

 sand and other foreign matter in tobacco on the warehouse floor is rapidly 

 increasing. Until further improvements are made in current cultural and 

 marketing practices to eliminate these problems, steps must be taken to main- 

 tain the overall quality of flue-cured tobacco dictated by buyer preference. 



Although the United States leads the world in producing and exporting 

 flue-cured tobacco, exporters have become greatly concerned about the condition 

 of flue-cured crops offered for sale. When tobacco contains large amounts of 

 sand and foreign matter, the yield of usable tobacco in the exporter's purchase 

 is reduced. As a result, the demand for low stalk tobacco is steadily decreasin; 

 and more of it is going into Government loan stocks. 



Over the past 2 years, this rapid buildup in loan stocks of low stalk 

 tobacco and the related problems of sand and foreign matter have become the 

 biggest threats to the future of the tobacco program. Through revisions in the 

 grade standards, USDA hopes to attack the problems in two ways. 



First, more stringent uniformity requirements and waste tolerances have 

 been implemented in the nondescript grades. This action should prove highly 

 beneficial to the program and particularly to growers who market clean tobacco. 

 With this change, the amount of tobacco going under loan will decrease and, 

 most importantly, will be a more salable product. The amount of tobacco under 

 loan is one factor which is considered when determinations regarding decreases 

 or increases in total quota are made. 



Second, "sand" and "dirt" have been designated as new special factors to 

 give a precise definition of this foreign matter. Tobacco to which a special 

 factor is applied meets general specifications of a grade but has a peculiar 

 characteristic, such as dirt or wetness, which modifies the grade. 



Under the revised standards, these new special factors will be applied to 

 all grades of the Priming group and the nondescript grades NIL, N1GL, and N1P0 

 when the tobacco contains more than normal but not an excessive amount of dirt 

 or sand. When this special factor is applied, the tobacco will receive a 

 reduced support price. 



Tobacco not covered by any standard grade because it contains foreign 

 matter is designated as "No-G-F." Where excessive amounts of dirt or sand are 

 involved, the grader will mark that specific special factor on the lot ticket 

 after the No-G-F. For instance, "No-G-F- sand" would indicate that the lot did 

 not receive a grade because of an excessive amount of sand. 



