Michigan Potato Producers to Vote on Program Amendment

By Andi Anderson

Michigan potato producers will have the opportunity to vote on a proposed amendment to the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, as announced by Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring. The referendum will take place from February 3 to 14, 2025.

In October 2024, petitions signed by potato producers were submitted to MDARD, requesting an amendment to the program. The proposed change includes an assessment cap increase up to nine and a half cents per hundredweight on potatoes grown in the state, up from the current cap of five and a half cents. This amendment affects growers with 20 or more acres in potato production.

MDARD will mail ballots to eligible potato producers on January 28. To be eligible to vote, producers must have fully paid all assessments by July 15, 2024, the due date of the final quarterly report for the 2023 crop.

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 completed, signed, and postmarked by February 14, 2025, and sent to:

MDARD, Executive Office

P.O. Box 30017

Lansing, MI 48909

The Michigan Potato Industry Commission was established to promote the potato industry through research, promotion, advertising, and market development. The proposed amendment aims to enhance these efforts by increasing the assessment cap.

Eligible producers with questions or those who do not receive a ballot should contact MDARD toll-free at 800-292-3939.

This referendum is a crucial opportunity for Michigan potato producers to have a say in the future of their industry and ensure continued support for research and market development initiatives.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-npantos