The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) says pecan growers have voted to establish a federal marketing order for pecans grown in 15 states.

Seventy-seven percent of the producers voting in a referendum - representing 88 percent of the volume - supported the marketing order. Voting was conducted March 9-30, 2016.

The marketing order will authorize data collection; research and promotion activities; and regulation of grade, size, quality, pack, and containers for pecans grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas.

The program will be financed by assessments collected from pecan handlers.

With the referendum passage, a council of 17 growers and shellers-handlers will be nominated by the industry and appointed by the USDA Secretary to administer the marketing order with oversight by AMS.

A final rule implementing the marketing order will be published in a future issue of the Federal Register.

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