By Drew Adams
Murray, KY – This year's upcoming tobacco harvest is expected to be one of the smallest in at least a decade. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says farmers are expected to produce 726 million pounds of tobacco. That's up 1 percent from last year, but down nearly 28 percent from a decade ago when more than 991 million pounds were produced. Tax hikes, bans, and health concerns have caused a decline in domestic cigarette sales, but the drop is less outside the U. S. Growing Asian markets are offsetting declines elsewhere and contributing greatly to American exports. However, experts say this season could be crucial in determining whether tobacco farmers stay in the dwindling and costly business.