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USDA Seeks Nominees for the United States Potato Board

Release No. 035-15

 
Contact:
Hakim Fobia (202) 690-0488

 
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2015 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations for the United States Potato Board.
The board is composed of producers, importers and a public member. Nominations for producer members are submitted by potato producers in various states. Importers nominate importer members, and the board nominates the public member. Producer members must produce five or more acres of potatoes to be eligible to serve on the board. The appointees will replace members whose terms expire on Feb. 28, 2016, as well as fill currently vacant seats.

 
Approximately one-third of the board is appointed each year. The board will fill 53 open seats for importers and producers from the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Nominations for producer members must be made through state potato organizations.

 
Prospective nominees must submit completed applications by July 1, 2015. Selected representatives will serve 3-year terms of office.
USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the research and promotion programs. All eligible women, minorities and persons with disabilities are encouraged to seek nomination for a seat on the United States Potato Board.

 
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower agricultural industries by establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

 
The United States Potato Board meets regularly to plan promotion, marketing and research activities that benefit the industry. The national program, which became effective in 1971, is industry-funded and supports the marketing and promotion of domestic potatoes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service oversees the board’s activities to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating industry stakeholders.

 
For more information or a nomination form, please contact Alexandra Grimm, United States Potato Board Industry Communications and Policy Manager, by phone at (303) 369-7783, or by email at: agrimm@uspotatoes.com.

 
Visit the United States Potato Board’s website at www.uspotatoes.com for more information about the board.

 
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.

 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

 
 
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