[mg39]

Little tobacco -- meaning the small cigarette companies? You're right, they're probably doomed. For that matter, the little tobacco farmer is too (like all small farmers). The buyout is a way to cushion the fall for these guys, because prices for unfinished tobacco will plummet once USDA gets out of the quota/marketing loan business.

And that's not even taking into account competition from African, Brazilian, Turkish, and Chinese tobacco producers.

I'll tell you what: if I was a cigarette smoker, I'd want the FDA to keep an eye on the quality of imported tobacco, as some of those foreign countries are pretty slipshod when it comes to things like regulating pesticide/herbicide use.

One way or another, the end is near for the small American tobacco farmer.

[bjs1779]

I'll tell you what: if I was a cigarette smoker, I'd want the FDA to keep an eye on the quality of imported tobacco, as some of those foreign countries are pretty slipshod when it comes to things like regulating pesticide/herbicide use.

Yes, but most of us can still buy tobacco products that are grown here in the United States inexpensively. While the FDA will never "approve" the use of tobacco, I envision that they will "not approve" certain channels of tobacco sales if it doesn't originate from Big tobacco. Much the same as the regulation of pharmaceuticals. So once again, the US government is going to get involved in more corruption.