Pear producers in Washington and Oregon have voted to continue their federal marketing order.

Pear growers have the opportunity to vote every six years on whether or not to continue the marketing order. For the marketing order to continue, two-thirds or more of producers voting, or producers representing two-thirds or more of the volume voted needed to vote in favor of continuation. 

Commenting on the results of the referendum vote, Kevin Moffitt, manager of the Fresh Pear Committee of Marketing Order 927 and president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest says, “Federal Marketing Order 927, established in 1939, is the oldest continuously running federal order in the county. We are pleased to gain the continued support and confidence of our grower members. While the votes in favor of continuation have been in the mid to high 90% range in the last four referendums since I assumed the leadership role of the marketing order 22 years ago, this vote, with 99% approval, is the best result in the history of the order.”

Under USDA’s oversight, the marketing order enables the industry to conduct production and marketing research, and promotional initiatives as well as setting regulations to help ensure the best eating quality for pears.

The Fresh Pear Committee, made up of elected pear growers and shippers from all four growing districts, has the authority to set the assessment rates each year that support consumer and pear agricultural research as well as advertising and promotion. The advertising and promotion funds are passed through to the Pear Bureau Northwest which conducts marketing programs to increase consumption in the U.S. and worldwide. 

“The industry has been working together for over 90 years to increase the consumption of fresh pears among consumers around the world. While consumer behaviors and preferences in produce continually change, we strive to keep pears relevant, providing custom category analysis to retailers and capturing consumer attention with innovative and effective promotions and initiatives. It is gratifying to see from the most recent data from the USDA, that per capita pear consumption increased by 25% recently, rising from 2.5 pounds in 2015 to 3 pounds per person in 2021, the latest year available from the USDA,” Moffitt adds.

More about Federal Marketing Order 927

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. 

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, AMS, provides oversight to fruit, vegetable, and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

More information about the marketing order regulating the handling of pears grown in Oregon and Washington is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s web page.