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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


The billion-dollar tax dodge on tobacco

Sunday, March 3, 2013

According to numbers acquired through a Canadian Taxpayer's Federation (CTF) Freedom of Information request to the federal government, Status Indians in Ontario purchased the equivalent of 70 cigarettes daily per person last year, along with 1,000 cigars annually. The fact that they don't smoke that much points towards a tax dodge by non-status buyers of between $742 million and $1.2 billion, just from contraband cigarettes in Ontario.

The CTF estimates that up to 79 per cent of all tax-free cigarettes intended for legal sale to Status Indians are illegally sold to those who are not, dodging $5.24 a pack in taxes.

Fred Neukamm, chair of the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers Marketing Board, allows that the contraband cigarettes may have been grown outside of the system. This year's legal crop is likely to be up somewhat from slightly more than 50 million pounds in 2012 because of increased demand from China. BF

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June/July 2026

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ontario Marks Local Food Week 2026

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

LocalFoodWeekbegan on Monday,June 1and runs untilJune 7, 2026--celebrating theimportant roleof farmers, food processors, and agribusinessesin Ontario,providingsafe, healthy, and high-quality food for families while supporting the province’s economy. The governmentishighlighting... Read this article online

Bayer De Ruiter® Advances Tomato Innovation

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I mid-May,BayerDe Ruiter®hosted its Spring Demo Day in Leamington, Ontario, bringing together growers and industry partners. The event gave attendees a close look at the latest developments in greenhouse tomatoes and specialty crop production. The event was held in one of North America’s... Read this article online

Wet Spring Delays Ontario Field Crop Progress

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Persistent rainfall across Ontario through late May temporarily stalled fieldwork, but improving weather conditions are now helping farmers regain momentum, according to the latest Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) Field Crop News report released May... Read this article online

Sunrise Farms Expanding National Footprint in Ontario

Sunday, May 31, 2026

British Columbia-based poultry producer Sunrise Farms is building a new $100 million processing plant in Woodstock, Ontario, the development be for a 155,000-square-foot facility. Sunrise Farms is a large Canadian poultry processor based in British Columbia that acquired Sargent Farms... Read this article online

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