USDA announces California Almond Continuance Referendum dates

Dates have been set for the California Almond Continuance Referendum. Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 8.

In a Nov. 8 notice to trade, the UUSDA announced that it plans to conduct a Dec. 4-20 referendum among California almond growers.

The vote is to determine growers’ level of support for continuing their federal marketing order.

To be eligible to vote, growers must have produced almonds within the designated production area during the period of Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.

USDA would consider termination of the marketing order if less than two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum, or growers representing less than two-thirds of the volume of almonds represented in the referendum, favor continuance. The marketing order requires a continuance referendum every five years, according to a news release.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) plans to mail ballots and voting instructions to all growers of record. Growers will also have the option to vote by electronic ballot. Eligible growers who do not receive a ballot by Dec. 4 should contact Peter Sommers at Peterr.Sommers@usda.gov or (559) 487-5901. Requests for a ballot may also be mailed to West Region Branch, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 2202 Monterey Street, Suite 102-B, Fresno, California 93721-3129.

More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of almonds grown in California is available on the AMS 981 Almonds Grown in California webpage, the Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Marketing Development Division at (202) 720-8085.

Started in 1950, the Almond Control Board began as a Federal Marketing Order primarily dealing with compliance issues. In the 1970s, recognizing a need to address market development, the name was changed to the Almond Board of California (ABC). ABC engages in production, nutrition, and market research; advertising and promotion in domestic and international markets; and quality control and statistical analysis.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help growers 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 28 fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.