Jul 12, 2019

Cranberry growers vote to continue federal marketing order

Cranberry growers have decisively voted to continue their federal marketing order program.

The marketing order covers cranberries grown in the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the State of New York.

The USDA on July 9 announced results of the referendum that was held May 6-28, 2019. Seventy-nine percent of growers who voted in the referendum favored the continuation of the marketing order. Those voting in favor of continuation also represented 82% of the volume produced by those voting.

The marketing order enables the industry to fund production research, marketing research, market development projects, including paid advertising, and recommend volume control regulations. The marketing order requires a continuance referendum be held every four years during the month of May. For the marketing order to continue, a majority of the growers voting in the referendum, or growers representing a majority of the volume of these cranberries, must vote in favor of the order.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to 29 fruit vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

Vote on cranberry marketing order coming up for growers