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.
On Oct. 25, 2023, USDA administratively suspended the Cranberry Marketing Committee’s authority to collect assessments and reports from handlers for the 2023-24 crop year while AMS conducts rulemaking and comment proceedings.
The proposed rule on terminating the marketing order and committee operations was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 7, 2023. Written comments must be received by Feb. 5, 2024.
The marketing order was established in 1962. More information about the marketing order is available on AMS’ 929 Cranberries webpage. Information about federal marketing orders is available on AMS’s Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage or by contacting the Market Development Division at (202) 720-8085.
Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers 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’s oversight of fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
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