The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a proposed rule to amend the federal marketing order for pears grown in Oregon and Washington. The amendment would reduce the percent of votes needed to approve changes to the handling regulations from 80 percent to 75 percent. The Fresh Pear Committee recommended the changes.
Currently, the marketing order requires at least 80 percent of the committee to approve changes to handling regulations. Other committee actions need only 75p percent of voters to approve. The change would make the marketing order’s regulatory requirements more consistent, simplify the amendment process and reduce confusion among committee members.
The proposed rule for this action was published in the Federal Register on October 10, 2023. Comments are due by December 11, 2023.
More information about the marketing order is available on the 927 OR/WA Pears webpage, the AMS Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage, or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-8085.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help fruit, vegetable and specialty crop 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 oversees fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
