The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominees to fill 13 member and 13 alternate seats for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council whose terms will expire Dec. 31, 2019.
Nominations for importer, exporter and handler seats are due to the council by Feb. 22, 2019. Nominations for state producer seats are due by April 15, 2019.
Elections will be held to select nominees to fill eight seats representing the top eight highbush blueberry producing states. The council will recommend nominees to fill five seats representing three importers, an exporter and a handler. The Secretary of Agriculture appoints members from the list of nominees.
A copy of the nomination form is available on the council’s website, www.ushbc.org, or by contacting the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council Executive Director at (916) 983-0111 or elections@blueberry.org. You may also contact the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Promotion and Economics Division at (202) 720-9915.
The 20-member council is composed of 12 producers, four importers, two foreign exporters, one first handler and one public member. Each member has an alternate. More information about the council is available on the Highbush Blueberry Council web page on the AMS website.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized 22 industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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