The U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct a referendum Sept. 1 through Oct. 3, 2022, for South Texas onion producers to vote on whether to continue their federal marketing order. Producers who produced onions within South Texas during the period of Aug. 1, 2020, through July 31, 2021, are eligible to vote. Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2022.
USDA will consider continuing the marketing order if two-thirds or more of producers voting in the referendum, or producers representing two-thirds or more of the volume of Texas onions, vote in favor. USDA’s decision to conduct another referendum of this program was the result of an extended comment period that indicated support for maintaining the marketing order after results from a 2020 referendum failed to reach the two-third thresholds.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will mail ballots and voting instructions by U.S. mail, United Parcel Service, or through electronic mail to all producers of record. AMS will provide an option to return ballots electronically. Eligible producers who do not receive a ballot by September 1, 2022, should contact Abigail Maharaj at Abigail.Campos@usda.gov or by phone at (863) 324-2145. Requests for a ballot may also be faxed to (863) 291-8614 or mailed to USDA, AMS, 1124 First Street South; Winter Haven, Fla., 33880.
More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of South Texas onions is available on the 959 South Texas Onions webpage.
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 27 fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
More information about federal marketing orders is available on the Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-2491.
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