Jul 1, 2011

Cranberry growers vote to continue marketing order

USDA announced that cranberry producers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Long Island, N.Y., voted to continue their federal marketing order program.

During the referendum, 512 eligible producers cast valid ballots. Of these producers, there were 390 (or 76.1 percent) representing more than 3.5 million barrels of cranberries (76.1 percent of total volume), who favored continuance of the order. Producers voting to discontinue the order totaled 122 (or 23.8 percent) and represented slightly more than 1.1 million barrels of cranberries (23.8 percent of total volume).

“Cranberries are an important specialty crop,” said Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator Rayne Pegg. “This continuance will provide opportunities to expand cranberry markets and help growers thrive.”

The marketing order requires that a continuance referendum be held every four years during the month of May. USDA would not consider terminating the order if continuance is favored by more than 50 percent of the growers voting in the referendum, provided that these growers represent more than 50 percent of the cranberry volume represented in the referendum.