WASHINGTON –The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that cranberry growers voted to continue their federal marketing order program. The marketing order applies to cranberries grown in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. The marketing order also applies to cranberries grown in Long Island, N.Y.
Thirty-nine percent of the eligible growers, representing fifty-seven percent of the volume of cranberries shipped during the representative period, participated in the referendum. Seventy-seven percent of those voting, by number, favored continuance of the order. Eighty-four percent, by volume, favored continuance of the order.
The order requires a continuance referendum be held every four years during the month of May. For the 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.
Marketing orders were authorized by Congress through the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 and are established at the request of industry. Marketing orders help agricultural producers and handlers within a specific geographic area work together to solve marketing challenges and can support activities such as production research, marketing research and development, minimum quality, grade and maturity and inspection requirements, and container and pack requirements.
Committees composed of growers and/or handlers currently administer approximately 28 active fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders which collect assessment fees from handlers to cover costs for administration of the programs. The Cranberry Marketing Committee is composed of 14 members, including 13 growers and one public member. The committee is appointed by USDA and locally administers the marketing order. All oversight activities related to federal marketing orders are conducted by the Agricultural Marketing Service, an agency within USDA.
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Source: USDA AMS
