US: Tobacco Growers Vote to Continue Self-Assessment of Sales

Source from:  Independent Tribune.com 11/27/2015

North Carolina tobacco growers have voted to continue a self-assessment that raises funds to support tobacco-related research and extension efforts of N.C. State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The Fayetteville Observer reports (http://bit.ly/1LA4UHS) that under the Tobacco Research Check-Off, started 24 years ago, producers decide whether to assess 10 cents per 100 pounds of flue-cured and burley tobacco sold.

N.C. State said in a news release Wednesday that last week's vote continues the assessment through the 2021 crop year.
The N.C. Tobacco Research Commission allocates about $300,000 annually for tobacco-related projects.

Keith Oakley, president of the N.C. Agricultural Foundation, said passing the referendum is important for future tobacco production, especially because federal funding for tobacco research ended in 1994 and state support has declined due to budget cuts. Enditem