Apr 26, 2011

Washington and Oregon pear growers vote to continue marketing order

On April 25, USDA announced the results of the recent vote among Oregon and Washington’s pear growers on whether to continue their federal marketing order program for Northwest pears.
The continuation of Federal Marketing Order 927 was favored by 96 percent of pear growers voting in the referendum, representing 88 percent of the volume produced by those voting.

The marketing order, which was first established by pear growers in 1939, authorizes the establishment of minimum quality and size requirements for fresh pears and the collection of assessments for important activities such as domestic and international promotions, research, industry reports, trade and consumer advertising, consumer outreach and education, public relations, and more.

“Being the oldest continuous running marketing order in the US, the fresh pear growers in the Pacific Northwest have a long history of collaboration and this vote reaffirms the growers’ commitment to working together to achieve the best results," said Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest.

The marketing order requires that a continuance referendum be held within every six-year period. USDA would consider terminating the marketing order if less than a two-thirds majority of growers voting, by number and production volume, favor continuance. All commercial pear growers in Oregon and Washington who had pears in production during the representative period July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, were entitled to cast one ballot. Each separate business unit, partnership, LLC, family enterprise, corporation, association, estate, or firm was entitled to one vote, which was due on March 11.

Federal Marketing Order 927 requires that the value of its programs is measured by a third party ever six years. A study conducted by Washington State University in 2007 found that the net return to pear growers served by this marketing order was $3.07 for every $1.00 spent on promotional activities.

USA Pears press release