Washington growers to vote on marketing order

Washington potato producers will vote from June 9–23, on whether to continue the federal marketing order regulating the handling of Irish potatoes grown in Washington. Producers who have produced potatoes in Washington from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016, are eligible to vote.

A continuance referendum is required every six years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) would consider termination of the order if less than two-thirds of the producers voting in the referendum and producers of less than two-thirds of the volume of Washington potatoes represented in the referendum favor continuance of their program.

The Washington potato marketing order provides authority for the regulation of potato grade, size, quality, maturity and container. The state of Washington Potato Committee locally administers the marketing order.

Notice of the referendum was published in the Jan. 19, 2017, Federal Register.

The Agricultural Marketing Service will mail ballots and voting instructions to all producers of record. Eligible producers who do not receive ballots may contact Teresa Hutchinson or Gary Olson by email at teresa.hutchinson@ams.usda.gov or garyd.olson@ams.usda.gov, by phone at 503-326-2724, by fax at 503-326-7440, or by mail at:

Northwest Marketing Field Office
Marketing Order and Agreement Division
Specialty Crops Program
AMS, USDA
1220 SW 3rd Avenue
Suite 305
Portland, OR 97204.