The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that cranberry growers have voted to authorize the Cranberry Marketing Committee to accept contributions from domestic sources for research and development activities. The authorization amends the federal marketing order for cranberries grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington and Long Island in the State of New York.
In a referendum conducted Oct. 29 through Nov. 19, 2018, the amendment was favored by 88 percent of eligible growers voting in the referendum, representing 96 percent of the total volume of cranberries produced by those voting. The amendment was also approved by processors who had frozen or canned more than 50 percent of the volume of cranberries within the production area.
For the amendment to pass, it must have been favored either by at least two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum or at least two-thirds of the volume represented in the referendum. Additionally, the proposed amendment had to be approved by processors who had frozen or canned more than 50 percent of the volume of cranberries within the production area. All the requirements were met.
A final rule implementing the amendment will be published in the Federal Register. A notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register Sept. 14, 2018. USDA also announced the referendum in a notice to trade Sept. 27, 2018, which was available to news organizations, wire services, radio stations and other information media.
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. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to 29 fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements to ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
More information about Federal marketing orders is available on the 929 Cranberries marketing order page of the AMS website or by contacting the Marketing Order and Agreement Division at (202) 720-2491.
