The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that almond producers voted to continue their marketing order program for almonds grown in California.
Ninetyfive percent of eligible almond growers who voted in a referendum held Aug. 5–16, 2019, favored continuing the marketing order. Those voting in favor of continuation also represented 97 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 two-thirds of the volume of almonds represented in the referendum, had to vote in favor of the marketing order.
The almond marketing order enables the California almond industry and the Almond Board of California to regulate almond quality and conduct research and promotion initiatives with USDA oversight. More information about the marketing order is available on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 981 California Almonds webpage.
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.
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 provides oversight to 29 fruit vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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