Secretary Vilsack Announces National Mango Board Appointments
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed five members to serve on the National Mango Board. Each representative will complete a three-year term of office beginning Jan. 1, 2013.
Newly appointed board members include first handler Mariana Gonzalez of Edinburg, Texas; importer Daniel Pollak of Wall, N.J.; and foreign producers Tomas Paulin Quezada of Armeria Colima, Mexico and Eddy Martinez of Guatemala City, Guatemala. Importer Ronald Cohen, of Fort Lee, N.J., was reappointed to the board.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight of the board in accordance with the Commodity Promotion Research, and Information Act of 1996 and the Mango Promotion, Research and Information Order. Under the order, first handlers and importers pay an assessment at the rate of three quarters of a cent per pound on all mangos. The Board administers a national promotion, research and information program to maintain and expand markets for mangos.
The National Mango Board is authorized based on the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Action of 1996. The program is administered by board members, who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and funded through industry member assessments. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual commodities in the United States and abroad. They allow commodity groups to conduct promotion, market and production research, and new product development for the benefit of their industries. For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion.
Secretary Vilsack Announces Watermelon Promotion Board Appointments
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 12 members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Each representative will serve a three-year term of office beginning Jan. 1, 2013.
Newly appointed board members include Joshua A. Moore of Turkey, N.C.; Daniel T. King of Chula, Ga.; Jack C. Wallace, Jr. from Edinburg, Texas and Kevin V. Green of Henderson, Texas.
Reappointed members include William Henry (Hank) Floyd of Malone, Fla.; Brian Arrigo of Estero, Fla.; Dana C. Strong, of Arlington, Texas; John W. Thomas from Palmhurst, Texas; Anthony (Tony) A. Moore from Raleigh, N.C.; W. Brent Jackson of Autryville, N.C.; Leslie A. Bloebaum of Tifton, Ga. and Ricky W. Tucker of Enigma, Ga.
USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides board oversight in accordance with the Watermelon Research and Promotion Act. The program is administered by board members, who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers, establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS oversight ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
Visit www.ams.usda.gov/ResearchandPromotion to learn more about research and promotion programs.
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Source: USDA
