Cranberry growers in the US states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and on Long Island, New York, have voted to continue their federal marketing order programme.
The US department of agriculture (USDA) held a referendum, in which 512 eligible producers cast valid ballots. Of these producers, there were 390 (or 76.1 per cent) representing more than 3.5 million barrels of cranberries (76.1 per cent of total volume), who favoured continuance of the order. Producers voting to discontinue the order totalled 122 (or 23.8 per cent) and represented slightly more than 1.1 million barrels of cranberries (23.8 per cent of total volume).
“Cranberries are an important specialty crop,” said Agricultural Marketing Service administrator Rayne Pegg. “This continuance will provide opportunities to expand cranberry markets and help growers thrive.”
The marketing order requires the USDA to hold a continuance referendum every four years during May. The department would not consider terminating the order if continuance were favoured by more than 50 per cent of voters, provided that these growers represent more than 50 per cent of the cranberry volume represented in the referendum.
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