USDA Sets Referendum Dates for Amendments to Pear Marketing Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it will conduct a referendum, May 13 - 27, 2024, on a proposed amendment to the federal marketing order for Oregon and Washington pears. The amendment was recommended by the Fresh Pear Committee.

The marketing order's current provisions require at least 80% of the committee to vote favorably to approve any proposed change to handling regulations. Other actions require only 75% of the committee to vote favorably for approval. The proposed amendment would revise the committee's voting requirement for modifications to the marketing order's fresh pear handling regulations from 80% to 75%. The change would bring greater regulatory consistency in voting thresholds to reduce confusion among committee membership and improve committee operations.

The proposed amendment would become effective if approved by two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum or by those representing at least two-thirds of the volume of pears grown by those voting in the referendum.

A notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2024.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will mail ballots and voting instructions to all growers of record in Oregon and Washington. To be eligible to vote, a grower must have produced pears in Oregon and Washington from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

Eligible growers who have not received a ballot by May 6, 2024, may request one by calling (559) 487-5901, faxing (559) 487-5906, or mailing the request to West Region Branch Office, Market Development Division, Specialty Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 305, Portland, Oregon 97212.

More information about the marketing order is available on the AMS 927 Oregon and Washington pears webpage.

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 provides oversight to fruit vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders to ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

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