The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is seeking nominees for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board to succeed four members with terms that expire in December 2024. Nominees are needed to succeed two members who represent Kansas, one who represents Texas, and one who is at-large. The deadline for nominations is May 3, 2024.
Sorghum producers within the United States who own or share in the ownership and risk of loss of sorghum production are eligible for nomination. A sorghum producer must be nominated by a certified producer organization and submit a completed application. The Secretary of Agriculture will select individuals from the nominations submitted.
The 13-member board was established to maintain and expand the market for sorghum. A list of certified producer organizations, the nomination form and information about the board are available on the AMS United Sorghum Checkoff Program webpage and on the board’s website, www.sorghumcheckoff.com. For more information, contact Barbara Josselyn at (202) 713-6918 or Barbara.Josselyn@usda.gov.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of 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 of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
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