Ag News
Georgia vegetable growers voting on state commission
Posted on Feb 02, 2021 at 19:00 PM
Georgia vegetable growers have until March 2 to get their mail ballots postmarked to determine the continuation of the Georgia Vegetable Commission (GVC) marketing order, which was established by the Georgia General Assembly in 2006 at the request of Georgia vegetable growers to implement research, education and promotion programs to benefit Georgia’s vegetable sector.
The GVC marketing order applies to Georgia vegetable growers with 50 acres or more of total annual production of the following crops - beans, bell pepper, specialty pepper, broccoli, beets, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, greens (including collards, turnip greens, mustard and kale), squash ( including yellow, zucchini and winter squash), sweet potato, and tomato. If you are a qualified grower and have not received a ballot in the mail by February 10, please contact Andy Harrison at andy.harrison@agr.georgia.gov or 404-710-1196.
The marketing order assesses growers at a rate of one cent per marketing unit of each applicable vegetable. Funds collected by the GVC are used for research, education and promotion of the crops mentioned above. The commission allocates at least 75% of money collected toward research projects by the University of Georgia and other research institutions that best serve Georgia growers. Some of the areas previously funded have focused on whiteflies, fungal disease diagnoses and control, viral diseases, variety development, fumigation, and weed control.
Eligible Georgia vegetable growers vote on the marketing order every three years. The GVC marketing order must be reapproved by a two-thirds affirmative vote to continue.
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