Texas onion growers renew federal marketing order

Growers of south Texas onions have approved continuation of their federal marketing order. The vote reverses a past referendum that failed to achieve required majority for continuation.

Through a 78.6% vote, growers favored continuing the federal marketing order. The results showed the approval vote representing 73.7% of south Texas’ volume, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) news release. The referendum was conducted Sep. 1 through Oct. 3. USDA released the results on Dec. 16.

For the marketing order to continue, two-thirds or more of growers voting, or producers representing two-thirds or more of the volume voted, were required, according to USDA.

In a 2020 USDA referendum of south Texas onion producers, results failed to reach the required two-thirds support level. However, feedback received during the public comment period on the proposed program termination demonstrated support for keeping the order, according to USDA.

To evaluate the true level of grower program support, the Secretary of Agriculture decided a second referendum was needed. Instead of a vote in favor of continuance, USDA plans to publish a withdrawal of the proposed rule to terminate the order, according to the release.

The marketing order provides the South Texas Onion Committee the authority to create rules covering quality, pack and container requirements as well as research and promotion programs for onions grown in south Texas, according to the release.

More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of onions grown in south Texas is available on the AMS 959 South Texas Onions webpage,
the Marketing Orders and Agreements webpage, or by telephoning the Market Development Division at (202) 720-2491.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS works with 27 fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.