Home » Products » Tobacco »

Tobacco farmers to protest anew

Dec 4, 2007 | HANK DANISZEWSKI | Sun Media

Frustrated tobacco farmers are planning another big protest as they wait for a government buyout deal. John Van Daele of the Oxford-Norfolk Landowners' Association said a meeting will be held at the Langton Community Hall Friday at 7:30 p.m. leading up to a rally at the Delhi Auction Exchange Monday morning.

The once-mighty Ontario tobacco industry has shrunk dramatically in recent years, with only a few hundred farmers still growing the crop. Their marketing board has been trying to arrange a deal to have the federal and provincial governments buy up the remaining tobacco quota.

Van Daele said farmers have accepted the collapse of their industry and only want out.

"In the past year we have waited for our government officials to do the honourable thing and we can see now they would rather see us suffer," said Van Daele, who farms nears Courtland.

Van Daele said the Ontario Landowners' Association has members in chapters across the province and he is calling on them to support Monday's protest. Randy Hillier, past-president of the association, was recently elected to the Ontario legislature as a Progressive Conservative MPP.

In the past few years there have been a number of farm protests led by tobacco farmers, including blockades of Highway 401, but Van Daele hopes Monday's protest will be the largest so far.

"It's probably the last kick at the can," he said.