U.S. Honey Producers Disapprove Referendum

Only Forty-One Percent of Eligible Voters Favored Implementation

AMS No. 117-10

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2010 – During a recent referendum conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, honey producers elected to disapprove a new national U.S Honey Producer Research, Promotion, and Consumer Information Order.

The order failed because only 41 percent of those who voted – representing 52 percent of the volume of U.S. honey – favored its implementation.

The referendum was conducted May 17 to June 4, 2010.

The Research and Promotion Programs of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service helps the produce and specialty crop industries expand domestic and foreign markets for their commodities. Through these self-help programs, commodity groups can establish their own board of industry representatives who conduct promotion, market research, production research, and new product development for the benefit of their industries.

For more information about Research and Promotion Programs, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion.

posted July 2010