The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it will conduct a referendum among Washington sweet cherry producers Feb. 5-26, 2024, to determine their level of support for continuing their federal marketing order.

The marketing order requires that a continuance referendum be held every six years. To be eligible to vote, producers must have produced sweet cherries within the designated production area during the period of April 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking comments on a proposal to terminate Marketing Order No. 929, which regulates the handling of cranberries grown in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Long Island in the state of New York.

The proposed termination follows the referendum that AMS conducted June 9-30, 2023, showing producers did not support continuing the marketing order. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for the American Pecan Promotion Board. Nominees are needed to fill five seats for members whose terms will begin Oct. 1, 2024, and end Sept. 30, 2027. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 16, 2024.

The American Pecan Promotion Board is seeking nominees for the following seats:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today proposed modifications to the handling regulations prescribed under the federal marketing order for tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.