The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that Vidalia onion producers voted to continue their marketing order program for sweet onions grown in Georgia. The marketing order requires that a referendum be held every six years to allow producers to decide whether the marketing order should be continued. A referendum was held Oct. 7-28, 2019.
Ninety-seven percent of eligible producers who voted in the referendum favored continuing the marketing order. Those voting in favor of continuation also represented 99 percent of the volume produced by those voting. For the marketing order to continue, two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum or growers representing the production of two-thirds of the volume of Vidalia onions had to vote in favor of continuing the marketing order.
The Vidalia onion marketing order enables the industry in Georgia and the Vidalia Onion Committee to fund production research, marketing development projects and marketing promotion programs, including paid advertising. These authorities under the marketing order support the industry’s effort to thrive in a competitive marketplace. More information about this marketing order is available on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 955 Vidalia Onions webpage.
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. AMS oversight of 29 active fruit vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
More information about federal marketing orders is available on the AMS Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Marketing Order and Agreement Division at (202) 720-2491.
