Jimmie Turner (202) 720-8998 jimmie.turner@ams.usda.gov
Billy Cox (202) 720-899 8billy.cox@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the results of a grower referendum to amend the federal marketing order regulating kiwifruit grown in California.
The referendum was held March 12-26, 2010. To be eligible to vote, a grower must have grown kiwifruit within the production area during the representative period of Aug. 1, 2008, through July 31, 2009.
Voters favored three of the seven amendments proposed by the Kiwifruit Administrative Committee, which is responsible for local administration of the order. Amendments receiving approval by either two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum, or by those representing at least two-thirds of the kiwifruit grown by those voting in the referendum, passed.
When implemented, these amendments will:
-- Redefine the California production area to include three grower districts and provide that committee membership will be allocated based upon each district’s five-year production average;
-- Require that committee member nomination meetings be held by June 1 each year; and
-- Add authority for teleconference and videoconference meetings.
The following proposals did not receive the required number of votes or production representation in favor of their implementation:
-- Revising all committee member terms of office to begin and end at the same time every other year;
-- Authorizing the Secretary to fill committee vacancies based upon committee recommendations;
-- Adding authority to conduct research and promotion programs and accept voluntary contributions toward such programs; and
-- Authorizing the committee to appoint temporary alternates to represent absent members at business meetings.
Notice of the referendum was published in the Feb. 23, 2010, Federal Register. A final rule concerning these amendments will be published in a future issue of the Federal Register.
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