Agripedia

Tobacco production is very labor intensive. Therefore, producers have worked to ensure many jobs would not be as labor intensive. There has been a growing trend toward mechanization. Mechanization has occurred in all aspects from planting to stripping. New machines are always coming about as a result of the high labor requirements.

At one time producers had to do every job in tobacco by hand. A stick was used to poke a hole in the ground to set the plants and now special equipment is used for jobs such as this. Machines are now available to harvest the crop and to strip the leaves off. These machines are not always as careful with the plants as someone would be doing the job by hand but the machines are more efficient and significantly cut down on labor requirements. The decrease in the need for labor cuts down on time and cost of production, which is the most important aspect for a tobacco farmer.