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REP. JIM BATTLE: South Carolina Agricultural Interests Must Be Protected  

As a farmer I’m proud to note that South Carolina agribusiness accounts for almost 200,000 direct and indirect jobs with payrolls totaling approximately $7.4 billion. Clearly, agribusiness is big business in our state and must be protected.

As such, there is a potentially destructive piece of legislation coming out of Canada that must be addressed. Initially drafted as a health initiative, C-32 has a well-intentioned goal of reducing youth smoking by banning the production, marketing and sale of “flavored” tobacco in Canada. While I have no problem with the bill’s intent, its implementation is cause for concern if it is passed as written. The problem is that “non-characterizing flavors” we use as additives in the production of most of our tobacco are included in C-32’s definition of “flavoring.” This will essentially ban American tobacco from being sold in Canada – thus destroying the tobacco trade between our countries and resulting in numerous job losses throughout South Carolina and across the United States.

Tobacco is still a top 10 cash crop in South Carolina worth an estimated $71 million to the state. . . .

It’s my hope our Congressional Delegation and other officials in Washington will take the necessary steps to help ensure the trade agreements we have in place are adhered to and push to have this legislation rewritten so as to protect our vital agricultural markets.

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