Tobacco buyout proposals considered in U.S. Senate

TIFTON - The U.S. Senate is considering two tobacco buyout proposals that would pay tobacco farmers for their quotas. <br> <br> The proposals would pay the growers eight dollars per pound for their quota and two to four dollars per pound to help them make the transition. <br> <br> Meanwhile, about 350 tobacco farmers attended a meeting Monday at the University of Georgia&#39;s Rural Development Center to tell six congressional aides that a buyout is the only way they can survive the changes taking place in the industry. <br> <br> The aides told the farmers that an immediate decision is not likely, since lawmakers are busy with the possible war with Iraq and the North Korean nuclear crisis. <br> <br> The estimated cost of a buyout would be $15-$16 billion. It would be paid for from fees charged to tobacco companies. They would pass along the cost to consumers.