During May 1997, South Carolina producers participated in a referendum and approved a marketing order for tobacco. This is now known as "Marketing Order No. 13" for South Carolina tobacco.

Among the accomplishments of this action are:

(1) establishes the South Carolina Tobacco Board composed of seven producer members and one ex-officio member;

(2) the South Carolina Tobacco Board will administer programs of support for tobacco production, tobacco production research, tobacco marketing research, and dissemination of information on tobacco production and marketing; and,

(3) enacts an assessment rate of $.10 per hundred pounds of tobacco sold in South Carolina for the financing of the above programs. This assessment will start with the 1997 crop. This will be an automatic deduction from the growers proceeds and the collected monies will be remitted to the Agricultural Commission of SC for credit to the South Carolina Tobacco Board.

The seven producer members will represent unique tobacco producing areas of the state, with one area (DISTRICT 1) having two members and the rest having one member. The districts (members) are based on quantity of production. The six districts are:

• DISTRICT 1: Horry County;
• DISTRICT 2: Dillon, Marion Counties;
• DISTRICT 3: Williamsburg, Georgetown Counties;
• DISTRICT 4: Florence County;
• DISTRICT 5: Chesterfield, Darlington, Kershaw, Lee, Marlboro, York Counties;
• DISTRICT 6: Bamberg, Berkeley, Clarendon, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper, Lexington, Orangeburg, Sumter Counties.

South Carolina Tobacco Board members will serve for three-year rotating terms. Nominations for members will be held by the Agriculture Commission of South Carolina as follows:

• DISTRICT 1: June 16, 1997, 9:00 AM; Horry County Clemson Extension Office, 1949 Industrial Park, Conway, SC.
• DISTRICT 2: June 16, 1997, 2:00 PM; Marion County Clemson Extension Office, Airport Road, Marion, SC.
• DISTRICT 3: June 17, 1997, 9:00 AM; Williamsburg County Clemson Extension Office, Court House Square, Kingstree, SC.
• DISTRICT 4: June 17, 1997, 2:00 PM; Florence County Clemson Extension Office, 2685 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC.
• DISTRICT 5: June 18, 1997, 9:00 AM; Darlington County Clemson Extension Office, Corner of Russell & E. Hampton St., Darlington, SC.
• DISTRICT 6: June 18, 1997, 2:00 PM; Clarendon County Clemson Extension Office, 11 A West Rigby St., Manning, SC.

In order to be a qualified candidate, the person must be a resident of the state over the age of 25 years, having been engaged in producing tobacco within the state for at least five years, and during that period, derived a substantial portion of his/her income therefrom. Oral nominations for qualified candidates may be made at the above nominating meetings and accepted by the Commission. Nominations may also be made within five days after the meeting by written petition filed with the Commission and signed by not less than five affected producers entitled to participate in such meeting.

This order will be in effect for five years and at that time there will be another vote.

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Notes: The information contained above is for educational purposes. Appreciation is extended to Wayne Mack, S.C. Dept. Of Agriculture for his knowledge and assistance -- the authors assume full responsibility for comments in this document.

Specific questions or copies of this marketing order may be obtained from: D. Leslie Tindal, Secretary, the Agriculture Commission of South Carolina, P.O. Box 11280, Columbia, SC 29211.

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updated 6/13/97