No action would mean disaster. The commission was appointed by then-President Clinton and was challenged to develop a plan that would protect tobacco farmers while promoting public health. The commission's report calls for the creation of a Tobacco Equity Reduction Program to buy out tobacco quotas and replace that system with a permit system for those wanting to continue. The permits would be issued annually to active growers only. Price supports would not change.
Quotas dictate how much tobacco a farmer can grow and are commodities in themselves.
A quota owner can sell his quota to another farmer or lease his quota to a grower for a fee. Sara Dryden, public relations manager with the Burley Tobacco Grower's Cooperative, said the organization supports all of the commission's recommendations. Rod Kuegel, a Daviess County farmer and the cooperative's executive director, also served as a member of the commission. Patrick Jennings, director of governmental relations with Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, said the organization has reservations about the proposed quota buyout. Quota is a property.