Release No. 224-14

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202) 690-0488

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2014 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed six members to serve on the National Mango Board. They will serve 3-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2015, and ending on Dec. 31, 2017.

The members include domestic producer Philip W. Barton of Pescadero, Calif; along with importers Greg Golden of Mullica, N.J.; M. Shawn Allen of Sugar Land, Texas and Jo Jo Shiba of San Diego, Calif. Also appointed are foreign producers Enrique Sanchez Ramirez of Nayarit, Mexico and Oscar Orrantia of Guayas, Ecuador.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the board in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 and the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order. Under the Order, the program is financed by an assessment of three-quarters of a cent per pound on first handlers and importers of 500,000 pounds or more of mangos annually. The program is administered by board members who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs. USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the National Mango Board.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion. For information on the board, please contact Jeanette Palmer by phone: (202) 720-9915, or email: Jeanette.Palmer@ams.usda.gov.

Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.

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