Bill Clinton: “Tobacco production; not farm, but tobacco production. There is no known crop with the same income per acre. So if you…”

“Tobacco production; not farm, but tobacco production. There is no known crop with the same income per acre. So if you were going to pay somebody to transition, one of the things you'd have to do is buy them all a whole lot more land. And I think that's a very important point to make. The second point that needs to be made is, if you dismantle this program, you would not end the production of tobacco. You would end the ability of all these family farmers to produce tobacco, and you would probably create a structure more like what you see in some parts of California, where the ultimate processor in California, food processor-- in this case the processor would be the cigarette companies--would control the farming, and everybody would be a hired hand. And the income would all flow up except for a salary. Isn't that basically your conclusion of what would happen? Mr. Kuegel. I don't think there is any question that's what would happen. And it would be inevitable with Senator Lugar's bill if it does away with our tobacco program.”