Farmers in Ontario are considering to file a lawsuit against the federal and provincial governments, blaming them for the downturn in the tobacco industry, the Canadian press reports.

Last week, tobacco farmers met in Delhi (Norfolk County, Ontario) at a closed-door meeting of the New Tobacco Alliance Committee (NTAC) and indicated by ballot whether to go ahead with legal action.
Lawyer Malcolm Bennett of McKenzie Lake Lawyers of London, Ontario, said Canada's high cigarette taxes are unconstitutional and suggested the farmers could sue over federal and provincial governments' failure to protect the tobacco growing industry by allowing illegal and contraband cigarettes into the country.
Tobacco farmers, through the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers’ Marketing Board, have been trying to negotiate a buyout from the federal government, but on March 31, federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said farmers should look to other aid packages to help them get out of tobacco.
The tobacco belt in southern Ontario has seen a major decline in recent years. During its peak, farmers were growing 218 million pounds of tobacco each season. Last year it was 32 million. This season it will likely be closer to 20 million. (pi)