North Carolina tobacco growers will decide Nov. 6 whether to continue to use a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their tobacco to fund tobacco research and related activities.
For the last six years, growers have been assessing themselves 10 cents for every 100 pounds of tobacco they sell, with the proceeds going primarily for tobacco-related research. The assessment produces roughly $500,000 annually.
Growers must vote every six years on whether to continue the assessment, which is often called a check off. Two-thirds of growers casting ballots must approve the check-off system if it is to continue for another six years.
Money is collected by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture at tobacco warehouses when growers sell their crops. Growers who do not wish to participate in the program may request a refund. A Tobacco Research Commission, which was created by the North Carolina General Assembly when is authorized the assessment, decides how the funding will be spent.
Polling places will be located in every tobacco-producing county in the state. Polling place locations will be announced in each county prior to Nov. 6. Both burley and flue-cured tobacco growers may vote. The assessment costs growers about $2.50 per acre.
Most of the money goes to support research at North Carolina State University. Assessment funding has supported projects such as the development of new high-yielding tobacco varieties that are better able to resist insects and diseases. Efforts to develop mechanical harvesting aids, thus reducing labor requirements, have also received funding, as has research into new baling technology, which reduces handling costs, and no-till tobacco, which reduces soil erosion.
Information on polling places and other aspects of the Nov. 6 referendum is available through county centers of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.