96% decline in Kentucky's tobacco farms in 20 years after tobacco quota abolition.

Twenty years after the abolition of the tobacco quota system, which guaranteed prices for tobacco farmers, Kentucky has seen a dramatic 96% decline in tobacco farms, dropping from over 29,000 to fewer than 1,000. This shift is due to the loss of stable income, changing consumer preferences, and the rise of more profitable alternative crops. Farmers have had to adapt their operations significantly to maintain profitability in the evolving agricultural landscape.

October 22, 2024
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