Fewer Ontario tobacco growers in 2011

(delhinewsrecord) The Ontario tobacco growing sector will start the growing season with a drop in the number of licensed growers and total contracted crop, due mainly to a problem with one company that has yet to pay most of its bills from last year's crop.
The Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers' Marketing Board has approved 193 licenses for growers to produce 46.3 million pounds of leaf this year.
The amounts are down from the 251 licensed growers in 2010 approved to produce a little more than 50 million pounds.
Virtually all of the decline is due to the board not issuing licences to about 60 growers still owed payments from True Blend of Tillsonburg. Similarly, the board has not processed True Blend's application as a contracted buyer, due to the lingering problem, which is turning into a nasty legal dispute. Continued