US: USDA sets California almond continuance referendum dates

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has scheduled dates for growers to vote on continuing the Almond Board of California. In a Nov. 8 notice to trade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it plans to conduct a Dec. 4-20 California Almond Continuance Referendum among California almond growers. The vote is to determine growers’ 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. 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, according to a news release. The ...