BLACK FARMERS MEETING 11 a.m. Saturday, St. Paul's College, 300 College St., Lawrenceville
PHONE (434) 848-1865
WEB SITE www.blackfarmers.org

The National Black Farmers Association will begin a series of public meetings across the tobacco-growing South on Saturday at Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville to help farmers take advantage of the pending buyout.

The $10 billion federal Tobacco Transition Payment Program -- also known as the tobacco buyout -- ends the decades-old tobacco marketing quotas and provides transition payments to eligible quota holders and growers.

The payments will be made annually beginning this year and ending in 2014. Sign-up for the program ends June 17.

John Boyd, the group's president and founder, said all tobacco farmers and quota holders should attend Saturday's meeting because they could end up losing money if they are not adequately informed of the buyout process.

Boyd warned that some buyout funds could be diverted to pay for outstanding federal farm debts, which some black farmers are disputing. In addition, his organization fears that predatory lenders are preparing to scam farmers.

"These farmers need to get out and hear . . . about the buyout and how it is going to affect them," Boyd said.

The association also plans to hold public meetings through May in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.

Representatives of the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency will talk about the program and distribute information at the meetings, Boyd said.

Boyd noted that some of the farmers do not realize that after this year, they may not grow tobacco unless they are under contract with a specific tobacco buyer.

"More than 12,000 black farmers are likely eligible for millions of dollars in quota buyout funds. We are doing our best to advise these farmers of their options during the FSA process and on how to successfully transition to other crops."

Contact Jamie C. Ruff at (434) 517-0997 or jruff@timesdispatch.com