Press Release (USDA)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominees for 10 grower members and 10 alternate members for the Citrus Administrative Committee. The committee is also accepting nominations for a public member and alternate. Nominations will be accepted through April 16. Voting will take place on April 23 at a nomination meeting via Zoom.

Eligible nominees for the grower member positions include:

• Producers of citrus fruit for the fresh market.
• Producers who also ship or are employees of shippers.

At least one grower member nominee and related alternate must be affiliated with a bona fide cooperative marketing organization. The public member and alternate may not have a financial interest in the citrus industry. The appointed members will serve a two-year term beginning Aug. 1, 2024.

To submit a nomination or for meeting information, contact the Citrus Administrative Committee Manager Peter Chaires at (321) 214-5252 or by email at peter@citrusadministrativecommittee.org, or USDA Marketing Specialist Jen Varela at (863) 324-3375 or by email at Jennie.Varela@usda.gov.

The Citrus Administrative Committee consists of ten members and their alternates and one public member and an alternate. More information about the committee is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) Citrus Administrative Committee webpage or on the Committee’s website at https://citrusadministrativecommittee.org/.

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. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable and specialty crops marketing orders and agreements to help ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

AMS policy is that the diversity of the boards, councils, and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries interms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table.

Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.