The following definitions apply in this Article:
(1) Association. - The Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina, Inc., a North Carolina nonprofit corporation.
(2) Buyer. - Any person engaged in the business of buying tobacco from a producer of tobacco grown in North Carolina, including a broker, dealer, or agent of the buyer.
(3) Department. - The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
(4) Person. - An individual, a partnership, a firm, or a corporation.
(5) Tobacco. - Flue-cured tobacco.
(6) Tobacco grower. - A person who (i) is a North Carolina resident, (ii) owns, manages, or has a financial interest in tobacco production, and (iii) is actively involved in tobacco production. (2013-311, s. 1.)