Peanut Referendum Passes with Flying Colors

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Keep the peanut promotion coming! That’s the overwhelming sentiment coming out of a recent referendum conducted by the USDA regarding the future of the Peanut Promotion, Research, and information Program. The results of the farmer referendum showed 93.23% of those voting in favor of its continuance.

“We accomplished almost every goal in our strategic plan, including reaching record-high per capita consumption of 7.8 pounds in 2022, growing peanut love among millennial and Gen Z consumers, and making peanut production more sustainable,” said National Peanut Board President and CEO Ryan Lepicier. “This resounding approval encourages us to continue working as hard as we can to drive impact for America’s peanut farmers and their families.”

Under the program, all peanut producers pay an assessment on all farmers stock peanuts sold at a rate of $3.55 per ton for Segregation 1 peanuts and $1.25 per ton for Segregation 2 and 3 peanuts.

For the continuance referendum to pass, a simple majority of eligible producers was needed to vote in favor of continuing the Order. At 93.23%, I’d say they got there.