The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a referendum April 12-30, 2021, for Irish potato producers in Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon, to vote on whether to continue their federal marketing order authorizing the establishment of size, grade, quality, maturity, container and pack regulations, under USDA oversight.
Producers who produced potatoes within the designated areas for the fresh market from Aug. 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020, are eligible to vote. USDA will continue the marketing order if at least two-thirds of the producers voting, by number or volume, vote in favor of continuance.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will mail ballots and voting instructions to all producers of record. Eligible producers who do not receive a ballot by Feb. 1, 2021, may contact Gregory A. Breasher at Gregory.Breasher@usda.gov or (303) 326-2054. Requests for a ballot may also be mailed to USDA, AMS, MOAD, 1220 SW 3rd Ave, Suite 305, Portland, Oregon, 97204.
Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 12, 2020.
More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of Idaho and Eastern Oregon Potatoes is available on the 945 Idaho and Oregon Potatoes webpage. More information about federal marketing orders is available on the 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 crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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