For immediate release: February 17, 2017 Media contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724                                                                   Michigan potato producers have an opportunity to vote on whether to continue the Michigan Potato Industry Commission in a referendum conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development beginning Monday, February 20, 2017 through Friday, March 3, 2017.

Ballots were mailed to potato producers on Thursday, February 16, 2017. Eligible producers with questions, or those not receiving a ballot, should contact MDARD toll-free at 800-292-3939. All ballots must be received in the MDARD Lansing office by or postmarked no later than March 3, 2017.

The Michigan Potato Industry Commission was developed to foster, develop, and promote the potato industry through research, promotion, advertising, market development or expansion, education, and the development and dissemination of market and industry information. By law, the program, established in 1970 and last amended in 2014, must be renewed every five years. Currently, the producer assessment is up to 5 ½ cents per hundredweight and 1 ½ cents for the first handler. 

For the program to be renewed, more than 50 percent of the producers votes cast, representing more than 50 percent of the total hundredweight represented on the cast ballots, must approve it.

For the purpose of this referendum, each grower is entitled to one vote representing a single firm, individual proprietorship, corporation, company, association, partnership, or husband-wife or family ownership.    

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