Release No.: 064-14

Contact:

Hakim Fobia (202) 720-8998

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2014 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the Hass Avocado Board.

The board -- which is composed of 12 members and 12 alternates -- will hold elections to fill five seats for members and five seats for alternates whose terms will expire on Oct. 31, 2017. Domestic producers of Hass avocados will fill three member seats and three alternate member seats. Two member seats and two alternate member seats will be filled by importers. The elections will also identify candidates for two additional alternate member seats to be filled by producers: one whose term will expire Oct. 31, 2015, and one whose term will expire Oct. 31, 2016.

Ballots will be mailed to all eligible domestic producers and importers of Hass avocados, who will select candidates for the producer and importer seats, respectively. Votes will be tabulated for the producer and importer seats, and the top candidates will be submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture. Two candidates will be provided for each available seat. The Secretary will then appoint members from among the candidates receiving the most votes.

The Hass Avocado Board meets periodically to plan marketing and research activities that benefit the industry. The national program, which became effective in 2002, is industry-funded and supports domestic marketing and promotion of Hass avocados.

USDA supports 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 Hass Avocado Board by the April 16, 2014 deadline.

For more information, visit www.hassavocadoboard.com. For nomination forms or other assistance, contact the board’s Executive Director, Emiliano Escobedo, at (949) 341-3250 or e-mail ee@hassavocadoboard.com. You may also contact Veronica Douglass, USDA Marketing Specialist, at (202) 720-9915 or e-mail veronica.douglass@ams.usda.gov for additional information.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 21 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 Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight, helping to ensure fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at http://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).