Jan 6, 2022

Michigan carrot producers unanimously approve program changes

Michigan’s carrot producers voted to approve the proposed amendments to the Michigan Carrot Industry Development Program, Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Director Gary McDowell announced Jan. 5

The Program, established under the Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act (1965 PA 232, as amended), allows carrot growers to raise funds for research and promotion.

The proposed amendments to the program included allowing individuals involved in allied industries to serve on the committee, making all committee members at-large members, and removing committee member term limits due to the small number of eligible candidates for the committee. These proposed changes were suggested by the carrot industry and supported during public comment. Additional amendments include grammatical updates.

“This is an important milestone for Michigan’s carrot industry,” Jamie Clover Adams, executive director of the Michigan Carrot Committee, said in a news release. “These changes enable a continued focus on carrot production research critical to the long-term success of our growers.”

Michigan carrot producers had an opportunity to vote to decide whether to accept the proposed amendments. The referendum was conducted Dec. 6 through December 17, 2021.

In the referendum, 16 ballots were sent to commercial carrot producers, and 6 ballots were returned.  Of the valid 6 referendum ballots to determine whether to accept the proposed amendments, all 6 producers voted yes (100 percent) representing 72,050,165.00 pounds of carrots (100 percent).

For the amendment to pass, 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, had to approve it.