Michigan apple producers vote to continue marketing program
Michigan apple producers vote to continue marketing program
The Michigan Apple Advertising & Promotion Program in April voted to continue operating. Michigan apple producers overwhelmingly voted for the program to continue for at least an additional five years, beginning Sept. 1, 2008, and ending Aug. 31, 2013.
Don Koivisto, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture in Lansing, MI, announced the vote April 18.
According to the state department of agriculture, the promotional program was designed to improve the economic position of Michigan apple growers by developing advertising, promotions and publicity programs to create new markets for apples and/or apple products, and to carry on market development and research. The program was last approved in 2003, and it must be renewed every five years by law.
A total of 172 valid ballots were cast in the referendum. To determine continuation of the program for an additional five years, 147 producers (85 percent) voted yes, representing 4,215,429 hundredweight (91 percent) of apples and 25 producers (15 percent) voted no, representing 399,894 hundredweight (9 percent) of apples.
For the program to be renewed or the amendment passed, more than 50 percent of the producer votes cast, representing more than 50 percent of the total number of bushels represented on the cast ballots, must have approved it, a requirement that was more than satisfied.
Don Koivisto, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture in Lansing, MI, announced the vote April 18.
According to the state department of agriculture, the promotional program was designed to improve the economic position of Michigan apple growers by developing advertising, promotions and publicity programs to create new markets for apples and/or apple products, and to carry on market development and research. The program was last approved in 2003, and it must be renewed every five years by law.
A total of 172 valid ballots were cast in the referendum. To determine continuation of the program for an additional five years, 147 producers (85 percent) voted yes, representing 4,215,429 hundredweight (91 percent) of apples and 25 producers (15 percent) voted no, representing 399,894 hundredweight (9 percent) of apples.
For the program to be renewed or the amendment passed, more than 50 percent of the producer votes cast, representing more than 50 percent of the total number of bushels represented on the cast ballots, must have approved it, a requirement that was more than satisfied.