Attempt Made to Vertify all Tobacco Quota Holders

Source from:  newsdemocratleader.com 07/05/2006

On July 1, over 21,000 claim forms were mailed to 2003 quota owners of eligible farms as part of the 2006 Kentucky Tobacco Quota Amnesty Program. As part of the 2007-2008 budget bill passed by the General Assembly, the Kentucky Tobacco Settlement Trust Corporation has been charged with the task of certifying and granting one-time payments to 2003 crop year quota owners who did not attain certification status under the Corporation's 2004 compensation plan. Nearly 114,000 farms were eligible in 2004 to receive payments through the National Tobacco Growers Settlement Trust (more commonly known as "Phase II"). However, after the Corporation concluded the application period for the 2004 distribution, approximately 21,000 farms had not been certified. The Corporation has been able to identify these farms and a majority of their eligible recipients. Quota owners of eligible farms have until July 31, 2006 to complete and return the claim form. The Corporation will then certify the payee list and prepare to issue checks the week of Aug.28. The payment rate is fixed at $.229 per pound of tobacco quota certified by the Corporation. The funding for the Amnesty Program comes from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. This fund was established in 2000 for the purpose of investing in projects that lessen Kentucky's dependence on tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy. For questions pertaining to eligibility and status please call the Tobacco Quota Amnesty Call Center at (866) 887-0095. All correspondence must reference the claimant ID Number in order to help identify the claim. For additional information including a list of claim recipients by county, go to http://tobaccotrust.ky.gov/phase_ii/. Enditem