Friends Of Tobacco Meeting Held In Paradise
EVERETT NEWSWANGER
Managing Editor
PARADISE (Lancaster
A era... -(lore „ _ _rmers, mostly Amish, attended a “Friends of Tobacco”
meeting in Paradise, Lancaster County.
Co.)—ln a “Friends Of Tobacco”
meeting at the tobacco auction
warehouse Thursday morning
more than 300 fanners, mostly
Amish, listened to several speakers
laud the benefits of the tobacco
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 30, 1993-A37
industry.
Mike Brubaker, agricultural
consultant from Ephrata, was the
moderator and said cash crops such
as tobacco are needed in Lancaster
County as an alternative to inten
sive animal agriculture. With the
high land values and' the current
push for legislation for nutrient
management control, farming
enterprises other than dairy may be
needed in the future.
Farrell Delman, president,
Tobacco Merchants Association
(TMA), released a new study that
showed the national tobacco indus
try was directly and indirectly
responsible for 2.56 million jobs or
2.3% of all jobs in 1991. During the
period 1986 to 1991, the number of
jobs grew by 100,000 from 2.46
million to 2.56 million. The report
entitled “Tobacco’s Economic
Contribution to Pennsylvania and
the Nation” shows that the U.S.
tobacco industry produced $70.8
billion in salaries and wages in
1991, up some 26% from 1986’s
$56 billion.
“The tobacco industry in 1991
represents a significant and
dynamic segment of Pennsylvani
a’s and the nation’s economy,”
Delman said. “In Pennsylvania the
tobacco indur was directly and
indirectly responsible for 113.000
Pennsylvania jobs, generating over
$2.8 billion in annual worker com
pensation. Of this total 29,700j0bs
were produced in the core and sup
plier sector, consisting of tobacco
grower, distributor and product
manufacturing jobs, and direct
suppliers to the industry, while
83,300 jobs resulted from spill
over effects due to the tobacco
industry.”
Joseph Helweicz, vice president
of Corporate Communications,
Brown & Williamson Tobacco
Corporation, said tobacco has been
an easy target for tax revenues
because it’s easy to collect from the
few companies in the business. But
he said the largest tax adventage
came from payroll taxes rather than
the tax on the products. Ryan also
pointed out that exports have had a
very positive effect on the balance
of payment situation in relation to
foreign countries.
Thomas Ryan, chief executive
officer, Helme Tobacco Company,
said the future of cigar Pennsylva
nia Type 41 chewing tobacco was
positive and Neal Buss, Pennsylva
nia deputy secretary of agriculture,
brought greetings from the Pen
nsylvania Department of Agricul
ture and Eric Probst, owner of the
tobacco auction warehouse, was
the host for the morning meeting
with a noon lunch. Sponsors listed
on the program included: Ameri
can Cyanamid Corporation; Bank
of Lancaster County; Brubaker
Agronomic Consulting Service,
Inc.; Carolina Greenhouse;
Cochran Corporation; Dewelanco;
Farmers First & Farmers Ag Cre
dit; Fulton Bank; Keystone Farm
Credit; Meridian Bank; Pennsylva
nia Tobacco Growers Association;
Rockvale Village Inn; and Valent.
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Write or call for more information
Deja Vue Farms
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(215) 868-0186