USDA Seeks Nominees for National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board

Date
December 10, 2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking fluid milk processors and other interested parties to nominate candidates to serve on the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 13, 2020.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will appoint six individuals to succeed members whose terms expire on June 30, 2020, and one individual to fill a vacant position with a term expiring on June 30, 2022.

USDA will accept nominations for board representation in six geographic regions and one at-large position. Nominees for the regional positions and the at-large position must be active owners or employees of a fluid milk processor.

The geographic regions with vacancies are: Region 2 (New Jersey and New York); Region 5 (Florida); Region 11 (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma); Region 13 (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming); and Region 14 (Northern California). Newly appointed members will serve three-year terms from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2023. USDA will also accept nominations to fill a vacant position in Region 10 (Texas) to serve a two-year term expiring on June 30, 2022.

Fluid milk processors and interested parties may submit nominations for regions in which they are located or regions in which they market fluid milk, and for the at-large member.

To nominate an individual, please submit a copy of the nomination form and a signed background form for each nominee by Jan. 13, 2020, to: Emily DeBord, Promotion, Research, and Planning Division, Dairy Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Stop 0233, Room 2958-S, Washington, D.C. 20250-0233, or via email at emily.debord@usda.gov. For nominating forms and information, visit the AMS website or call (202) 720-5567.

The Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Program, or Fluid Milk Checkoff Program, develops and finances generic advertising programs designed to maintain and expand markets and uses for fluid milk products produced in the U.S. Processors marketing more than 3 million pounds of fluid milk per month pay a 20 cent per hundred-weight assessment on fluid milk processed and marketed in consumer-type packages in the U.S. The program was created and is administered under the Fluid Milk Promotion Act of 1990 and the Fluid Milk Promotion and Research Order.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to 21 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability and program integrity and is paid for by industry assessments.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender