The U.S. Department of Agriculture announces dates for the California almond continuance referendum

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will conduct a referendum Dec. 4-20, 2024, among California almond growers to determine their level of support for continuing their federal marketing order. To be eligible to vote, growers must have produced almonds within the designated production area during the period of Aug. 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024. Notice of the referendum was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 8, 2024. USDA would consider termination of the marketing order if less than two-thirds of the growers voting in the referendum, or growers representing less than two-thirds of the volume of almonds represented in the referendum, favor continuance. The marketing order requires a continuance referendum every five years. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will mail ballots and voting instructions to all growers of record. Growers will also have the option to vote by electronic ballot. Eligible growers who do not receive a ballot by Dec. 4, ...