The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that fresh citrus producers voted to continue the marketing order regulating the handling of oranges, grapefruit, tangerines and pummelos grown in Florida. The marketing order requires a continuance referendum be held every six years.
In a referendum held Oct. 19 to Nov. 9, 2020, 99 percent of Florida producers, representing 94 percent of volume produced, voted in favor of continuing the marketing order. For the marketing order to continue, two-thirds of the producers voting in the referendum, or two-thirds of the fresh citrus volume represented in the referendum, needed to vote in favor.
The marketing order enables the fresh citrus industry and the Citrus Administrative Committee (CAC) to regulate quality, volume control and marking, pack and container regulations, and conduct research and promotion activities under USDA’s oversight. These authorities, under the marketing order, support the industry’s effort to thrive in a competitive marketplace.
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