"Some are very pessimistic about tobacco's future, but others say actually the industry could revive -- perhaps not to the level it was 40 or 50 years ago but from where it was a couple of years ago," says Walden, a specialist with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Why?

"Clearly some reduction in the tobacco industry is due to the reduction in the incidence of smoking, especially domestically," says Walden. "But another big reason was from competition from foreign producers. The tobacco program actually held tobacco prices in the U.S. high -- higher than many buyers could get from foreign producers. Now that that program is gone, tobacco prices in the U.S. can perhaps become much more competitive with foreign producers'.

"And therefore we may see over time a shift from buying of the big cigarette makers to U.S. tobacco. And that could revive some production of tobacco here in North Carolina."