Tobacco Growers Block Canadian Processing Plant

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 02/22/2011

Half a dozen Canadian tobacco growers seeking payments totalling $6.6 million blocked shipments from leaving a Tillsonburg processing plant on Thursday, according to a Brantford Expositor story. The co-owner of True Blend tobacco company, Grant Sanders, claims that growers are being paid, but the growers say that they haven't received any payments since September 23. True Blend growers were told to seek legal counsel during a special meeting held by the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing Board, according to chair Fred Neukamm. The new contract system, which was brought in following the tobacco buyout, has tied the hands of the Board. Under the new system, individual contracts are struck between buyers and growers, and this limits the ability of the board to represent growers collectively. Enditem