USDA to Conduct Vote on Vidalia Onion Marketing Order
December 26, 2025 | 2 min to read
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum among eligible Vidalia onion producers in Georgia Jan. 12-Feb. 3, 2026, to determine their level of support for continuing their federal marketing order.
The order requires USDA to conduct a continuance referendum every six years. To be eligible to vote, producers must have produced Vidalia onions within the designated production area during the period of Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024.
USDA would consider termination of the marketing order if less than two-thirds of producers voting in the referendum or producers of less than two-thirds of the volume of Vidalia onions represented in the referendum, favor continuance of the program. Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 11, 2025
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will mail ballots and voting instructions to all producers of record. Producers will also have the option to vote by electronic ballot. Eligible producers who do not receive a ballot by Nov. 5, 2025, should contact Delaney Fuhrmeister at Delaney.Fuhrmeister@usda.gov or (863) 307-3289. Requests for a ballot may also be mailed to USDA, AMS, 1124 1st Street South, Winter Haven, Fla. 33880.
More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of Vidalia onions grown in Georgia is available on the AMS 955 Vidalia Onions page or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-8085.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by using their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.