The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum Aug. 6-27, 2018, on a proposed amendment to reduce the size of the South Texas Onion Committee from 34 to 26 members under the federal marketing order regulating the handling of onions grown in southern Texas.
The proposed amendment would:
- Remove one voting producer and handler member and one alternate producer and handler member from each of the two districts, resulting in a total reduction of eight members from the board and
- Make conforming changes to the sections of the order that establish the committee member selection process and procedures for meeting and voting to reflect the reduction in the committee’s size.
The proposed amendment would become effective only if approved by two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum or by those representing at least two-thirds of the volume of onions grown by those voting in the referendum.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service will mail ballots and voting instructions to all growers of record in southern Texas. To vote in the referendum a grower must have produced onions in southern Texas between Aug. 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017.
Eligible growers who have not received a ballot by Aug. 27, 2018, may request one by calling (863) 324–3375, faxing (863) 291–8614 or mailing the request to Southeast Florida Marketing Field Office, Marketing Order and Agreement Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1124 1st St. South, Winter Haven, Florida, 33880.
Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2018.
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. The Agricultural Marketing Service 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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