Curtain for 2015 tobacco auction marketing season is expected to come down on July 15

THE curtain for 2015 tobacco auction marketing season is expected to come down on July 15 2015, with final deliveries being accepted on July 14 2015 and tobacco clean up sales will be on August 4 2015.
Last year the auction floors closed on July 7.
Seasonal sales for 2015 are at 175,7 million kg averaging US$2,95/kg compared to 2014 sales which were 194,5 million kg averaging US$3,18/kg after 81 days .
The sales have raked in US$518 million compared to US$619 million that had been earned during the same period last year.
Auction sales for 2015 recorded 45 million kg at US $2,46/kg compared to 48 million kg realised in 2014 averaging US$2,74/kg .
The current seasonal auction sales at 45 million kg is 8,10 percent below 2014 auction output. Both contract sales output and price for 2015 have also been depressed by 14,3 percent and 6,3 percent respectively compared to the previous season.
Current auction floors throughput has significantly dropped and now signalling the end of the 2015 selling season.
Contract sales for 2015 recorded 130,7 million kg at US$3,12/kg compared to 142,1 million kg realised in 2014 averaging US$3,33/kg.
About 97 452 growers have registered for 2015 season as compared to about 106 326 who had registered by the same period last year.