USDA Set Blueberry Referendum

WASHINGTON - May 25/06 - SNS -- The USDA has scheduled a continuance referendum for August 1 to 22, 2006, among eligible cultivated blueberry producers and importers.

Cultivated blueberry producers and importers of cultivated blueberries will vote on whether to continue the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information program. The program was implemented in 2000 by producers and importers of cultivated blueberries.

The program will be continued if it is favored by a majority of producers and importers voting in the referendum. The voters must also represent a majority of the volume of blueberries produced as having paid assessments during the representative period of Nov. 1, 2004 through Oct. 31, 2005.

The Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order is implemented under the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. This order was developed to finance an effective and coordinated program of generic promotion, consumer information and related research designed to maintain and expand markets for blueberries. The notice of a continuance referendum for the program was published in the May 26, 2006, Federal Register, and can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/fv/rpb.html.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Services will conduct the referendum by mail ballot. AMS will mail ballots and voting instructions of the current program to all eligible cultivated blueberry producers and importers by July 18.

Any eligible producer or importer who doesn't receive a ballot by Aug. 1 should contact Deborah S. Simmons, the referendum agent, at Research and Promotion Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 0634-S, Stop 0244, Washington, D.C. 20250-0244; by calling (888) 720-9917, by faxing (202) 205-2800, or e-mailing deborah.simmons@usda.gov.