Audit takes aim at tobacco buyout Thursday, November 24, 2011 By SUSAN MANNAbout 1,000 tobacco quota holders received a payment under a program designed to address declining product demand but more than half of them weren’t active tobacco producers, according to the fall auditor general’s report.In 2008 there were 446 active tobacco producers, while in 2009 there were 118 and in 2010 there were 251, it says in the report by John Wiersema, interim auditor general, released Tuesday.The Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers’ Marketing Board, which delivered the Tobacco Transition Program to producers on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, paid out a total of $284 million by May 2009. Tobacco quota holders who agreed to leave the industry were paid $1.05 per pound for quota. The Ontario government didn’t contribute funds to the program.But some farmers who took money to leave the industry then switched their land and equipment to relatives who continued growing tobacco under the new licensing system.The transition program was created to address the severe decline in demand for flue-cured tobacco from southern Ontario, Canada’s main region for flue-cured tobacco production. Wiersema’s audit revealed two of the three program objectives were achieved while the third objective, which was to facilitate the transition of tobacco producers out of the industry “was not as far advanced,” the report says.Eliminating the tobacco quota system and improving the viability of remaining and future tobacco farmers were achieved under the program.Wiersema says the federal agriculture department had to deliver the program within a short time frame and didn’t first conduct a thorough risk analysis. The agreement to implement the program didn’t provide clear terms and conditions to ensure recipients wouldn’t enter into business arrangements that would undermine the intent of the program.In addition, the department changed its interpretation of what was and wasn’t allowed under the agreement a number of times resulting in confusion for producers. The department was successful in controlling some but not all of the business arrangements that would compromise the program’s intent.In an email, Agriculture Canada says it is working with the Ontario tobacco board to ensure that they fully implement the recommendations of external audits that were done on behalf of the department. BF Imported seeds to get advanced clearance Ontario's specialty chicken processors short on supply
Shell Rotella’s SuperTractors competition Friday, September 26, 2025 Farmers put in long hours and endless dedication to feed and support their communities, and Shell Rotella is proud to spotlight these farmers with the fifth annual competition. Coinciding with —Sunday, October 12, 2025—the virtual event invites farmers across North America to share... Read this article online
Save Time and Costs with the Portable MiniCombine Friday, September 26, 2025 MiniCombine Delivers Fast and Accurate Grain Sampling The MiniCombine is a portable, fully self-contained electric unit designed to simplify grain sampling with speed and precision. Suitable for a wide range of crops including wheat, barley, sorghum, oats, soybeans, peas, field beans,... Read this article online
Advanced aerial tools bring data driven farming solutions Friday, September 26, 2025 Modern agriculture is quickly embracing aerial technology to improve crop management and boost productivity. Terralynx (Formerly TerraNova UAV), a company once focused only on drones, now specializes in advanced data collection and analysis that supports farmers and researchers. The... Read this article online
What’s New at 2025 Advancing Women Conference--Movie Time on Sunday Night Friday, September 26, 2025 If you're one of the many loyal attendees of the, planning to join us in Niagara Falls this November, you are in for a special treat. This year, AWC EAST 2025 will feature a heartwarming and historically rich film screening that celebrates the resilience, courage, and contribution of young... Read this article online
IPM Plowing Match Winners Celebrated Friday, September 26, 2025 Congratulations to Robert Daniels, of Berwick, Nova Scotia on winning the IPM Champion Horse Plow Person Award with 459 points; Kim Hadwen, Belleville, was the reserve. Congratulation as well to Brian Davenport from Owen Soundwho is the winner of the IPM Champion Tractor Award with 570.5... Read this article online