Farming Conditions Worsen Across Georgia, Commissioner Says posted May 1, 2007 Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin said he is concerned about the effect of the drought on all of the state s crops, especially those already damaged and/or held up by the recent freeze. Farming Conditions Worsen Across Georgia, Commissioner Says posted May 1, 2007 Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin said he is concerned about the effect of the drought on all of the state s crops,...

Opponents said the dismal record of Robert Mugabe's regime in running its agricultural economy meant it was not fit to take charge of global policy on rural development and sustainable agriculture. The owners of the once-productive, white-owned farm he took over after it was seized by war veterans in 2002 say much of the land is now more like a desert. But Chris Shepherd, 42, who still holds the farm's title deeds, said that when he flew low over Nyamanda a few weeks ago, he was shocked by...

Calls to 1-800-QuitNow are funded in part with tobacco tax funds and from court settlement proceeds from lawsuits against the tobacco industry. Proponents of the Oklahoma quitline and quit lines in general say the programs have a proven effectiveness whose benefits far outweigh its costs. Now after smoking for 25 years, Strickland knew this February that it was time to get serious about quitting when a granddaughter, concerned about her smoking, asked her, "Grandma, do you want to die?" So...

Leaving the personal income and the sales tax untouched, the plan would raise the state tax on a pack of cigarettes by one dollar. Among issues that remain to be resolved is how to treat the $136 million tobacco tax increase proposed by the governor and how to proceed with a school system consolidation plan that Baldacci is relying on for $36. The Legislature's Appropriations Committee took most of last week off from budget deliberations, hearing testimony instead on numerous other...

Tobacco companies spent less money marketing and advertising their products in 2004 and 2005, after setting a record high in 2003, a federal agency said today. Most of the tobacco companies' promotional spending is in the form of price discounts to cigarette retailers and wholesalers to reduce the price of cigarettes to consumers, the FTC report said. The FTC has monitored cigarette sales and marketing trends in regular reports since 1967. The current bill may have better prospects for...