Pear Marketing Order Passes Pt 1

Pear Marketing Order Passes Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Pear growers in Oregon and Washington have overwhelmingly approved a continuation of a federal marketing order that's allowed them to collectively promote their pears since 1939.

Results announced last week show 97% of fresh pear growers want to continue the marketing order, easily beating the two-thirds needed to pass.

Pear Bureau Northwest administers the USDA order ...

KATHY STEPHENSON ... "I'll start by suggesting that this organization has continued to innovate, and continued to find ways to increase the rate of returns for growers. I think that over the leadership that we've had for that period, it's always been successful working very closely with the board of directors which is made up of the industry, growers, shippers, industry leaders, and then having good solid strategies."

The Pear Bureau's Kathy Stephenson says her organization has enjoyed working with the pear industry for 85 years ...

KATHY STEPHENSON ... "You know, I'll continue to brag a little bit about the Pear Bureau, but definitely a leader as a commodity board. And we are looked at across the agriculture industry as a model for how an agriculture board can run whether that's the walnut folks looking at how we do things, the mango board, etcetera. So, it's just continuing to innovate and, I believe, good leadership too."

Stephenson says the Pear Bureau Northwest pear growers vote on the Marketing Order ever six years.

Established in 1939, Marketing Order 927 is the longest continuously running marketing order in the U.S., allowing the industry to collect and distribute vital fruit information as well as providing money for important research and promotions.

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