From the Georgia Department of Agriculture:
The Agricultural Commodity Commission for Vegetables (GACCV) will hold a 30-day grower referendum to allow producers an opportunity to vote on a new Marketing Order for Vegetables which establishes a $0.01 per marketing unit assessment on fresh vegetables produced for sale in Georgia. The order applies to growers with 50 acres or more of total annual production and only applies to...
beans; bell pepper; specialty pepper; broccoli; beets; cabbage; cantaloupe; carrots; cucumbers, eggplant; greens including collards, turnip greens, mustard and kale; squash including yellow, zucchini and winter squash; sweet potato; and tomato.
Collected assessments fund programs of research, promotion and education of behalf of Georgia vegetables. This Marketing Order replaces the one that failed to pass in 2014.
In order for the Marketing Order to be approved, 66.7% of those ballots returned must be in favor of approval of the new Marketing Order. Also 25% of ballots of eligible voters must be returned for referendum to be valid. Upon approval, the Marketing Order will be in effect for three (3) years beginning May 1, 2015 and ending April 20, 2018.
The balloting period for the proposed Marketing Order has been set for March 1, 2015 to March 30, 2015. Ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight March 30, 2015 to be eligible to be counted. Please mark and sign your ballot and complete the production information and return it in the postage-paid envelope as soon as possible.
For information contact:
Any Harrison, Commodity Commissions Manager
Georgia Department of Agriculture
404-586-1405
According to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), 75% of funds collected will support vegetable research projects, such as variety trials, phytopthora research, fertilization and fumigation studies and disease management in crops.
GFVGA will also hold seven meetings from March 2 to March 5--in Americus, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Valdosta, Lyons, Cordele and Tifton, respectively--to promote the referendum. For more information about these meetings, contact GFVGA at 706-845-8200.