Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Tobacco board ruled too heavy-handed

The Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing Board was too harsh in dealing with farmer Armino Lopes, says the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Appeal Tribunal.

The board found Lopes guilty of failing to apply stickers to bales of tobacco last year, seized and sold the tobacco for about $50,000 and refused to grant him a licence to grow tobacco this year.

The tribunal has granted him a licence to grow this year.

It noted that Lopes had an unblemished record, that he helped inspectors locate and load tobacco they seized, that he thought he only needed to apply the stickers when tobacco was ready for sale and this tobacco needed to be reworked.

The tribunal also noted that the maximum fine under the Tobacco Act is $10,000 for a first offence and Lopes actually lost $50,000 worth of tobacco in the seizure.


But the tribunal also noted that Lopes is guilty as charged by the tobacco board. Its rules say a sticker must be applied as soon as tobacco is baled.