The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that every five years, eligible almond growers in California vote on whether to continue their almond federal marketing order program, which is administered by the Almond Board of California.
Growers will have from August 5 through August 16 to return their ballots to USDA to vote on whether to continue their almond federal marketing order program, which is administered by ABC.
Marketing orders are initiated by industry members to help growers and handlers work together to solve problems and achieve marketing success. Key program areas for the Almond Board include domestic and international marketing, nutrition research, the collection and dissemination of industry statistics, production research and food quality and safety programs. Given the challenges facing agriculture, working together has enabled the industry to develop the tools to assist growers, build demand ahead of supply and achieve the considerable successes experienced over the years.
The last referendum was held in 2014 and resulted in 91 percent of eligible growers voting. 94 percent of the volume of production represented by those growers voting favored continuing the marketing order.
The 2019 referendum will occur next month, August 2019, when USDA will mail ballots to eligible growers. To vote in this referendum, growers must have produced California almonds during the period of August 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019.
Growers will have from August 5 through August 16 to return their ballots to USDA.
To allow the federal marketing order for almonds to remain in effect, at least two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum or growers representing at least two-thirds of the volume of almonds represented in the referendum must vote in favor of the order. It is estimated that it will take an average of five minutes for each of the approximately 6,800 growers to cast a ballot. Participation is voluntary.
Should you have questions about the marketing order or the upcoming continuance referendum, please contact Peter Sommers, Marketing Specialist at USDA/AMS. Sommers can be reached at (559) 538-1670 or by email at peterr.sommers@usda.gov.
