February 28, 2007

LANSING - State producers of onions have an opportunity to vote on whether to continue the Michigan Onion Promotion and Development Program in a referendum conducted by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA). The referendum will run Monday, March 5, 2007 through Friday, March 16, 2007.

Ballots will be mailed to onion producers on Friday, March 2, 2007. Producers are eligible to vote if they produced onions valued at more than $800 at first-point-of-sale in any of the last three years.

Established in September 1977, the Michigan Onion Promotion and Development Program was developed to improve the economic position of state onion producers by creating greater marketing opportunities for Michigan onions. By law, it must be resubmitted for grower approval every five years. Currently, the assessment is $.06 per hundredweight of onions.

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

For the purpose of this referendum, each producer is entitled to one vote representing a single firm, individual proprietorship, corporation, company, association, partnership, or a husband-wife or family ownership. All ballots must be filled out completely, signed and postmarked by March 16, 2007, and should be sent to MDA, Executive Office, P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909.

Eligible producers with questions or those who have not received a ballot should contact MDA toll-free at 800-292-3939, or write MDA-Info@michigan.gov.