Support for National Tobacco Control Measures
Almost three-fourths of Kentucky tobacco farmers support establishing a national minimum age of eighteen for buying tobacco products, with the requirement that retailers check identification of all young buyers. Just 15 percent oppose this provision as part of a national tobacco policy. Sixty-four percent support prohibiting tobacco companies from marketing or advertising to children, with just 22 percent opposed.

The farmers also want to consumers to know what is in tobacco products. Eighty-three percent support a requirement that tobacco companies provide accurate information about the ingredients of their products.

The tobacco farmers clearly believe they should be part of any national tobacco policy. Nearly three-fourths (73%) of those surveyed say a national tobacco policy should provide economic development assistance to tobacco-dependent communities. Sixty-eight percent support allocating a portion of revenues from a federal excise tax on tobacco products to tobacco-dependent communities.

This level of support for public health measures is somewhat surprising given that large majorities of the farmers surveyed agree that health groups (84%) and restrictions on smoking (76%) are a threat to tobacco farmers.

Opinions on the Tobacco Program
While most Kentucky tobacco farmers (82%) agree Congress should leave the tobacco program alone, a majority (59%) believe the program will be eliminated within the next five years. Thus, it is not surprising that just 41 percent of the farmers surveyed say it is very likely that they or someone in their family will be growing tobacco on their farm in ten years; another 19% say it is somewhat likely. Fifty-nine (59%) say that if they had children, they would encourage them to grow tobacco.

This uncertainty about the tobacco program leads 57 percent of Kentucky tobacco farmers to favor a voluntary buyout, where they could either decide to keep their quota or sell it. Another 7 percent support a mandatory buyout that would end the current quota and price support system for everyone.  About one-fourth (27%) oppose a burley buyout of any kind, saying the current program should be maintained.  When asked what a fair buyout price would be, the median response was $12, although almost 20% offered no response.

Forty-eight percent of the tobacco farmers said they are very (16%) or somewhat (31%) interested in trying additional non-tobacco activities on their farms.  Forty-three percent said they are somewhat (8%) or very (35%) uninterested.  Reflecting this split, 43% said they would use money from a buyout to expand or diversity their farming operation.  The most popular uses of the funds were to invest in a savings or retirement plan (71%) and pay off debts (69%).

Opinions of Tobacco Companies
The uncertainty on the part of tobacco farmers about the future of the enterprise may reflect, in part, their apparent ambivilance toward the tobacco companies.  One-half of those surveyed disagree strongly (32%) or somewhat (18%) that tobacco companies are concerned about the well-being of tobacco farmers, while 41 percent agree strongly (19%) or somewhat (23%) that the tobacco companies are concerned about them.

Fifty-nine percent of the tobacco farmers agree that if tobacco companies do well, tobacco farmers do well.  Thirty-seven percent disagree with this assertion.

The Survey
The telephone survey of 400 Kentucky tobacco farmers was a cooperative effort between the Camping for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Kentucky Health and Agriculture Forum.  It was conducted by Global Strategies, Inc., with a random sample of burley quota holders from a list provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.  Qualified respondents live in the state of Kentucky and have an effective burley quota of 2200 pounds (roughly one acre) or more.  The sample of 400 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.