LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has announced that voters have approved continuation of the state sanctioned apple commodity group for another five years.

Eligible voters approved continuing the Michigan Apple Advertising and Promotion Program and also approved a separate question on language changes proposed by the Michigan Apple Committee (MAC). The program will continue for an additional five years beginning Sept. 1, 2023, and going through Aug. 31, 2028. The current assessment rates are 52 cents per hundredweight of fresh apples, 28 cents for apples sold for processing and 12 cents for apples sold for juice. Included are 4 cents per hundredweight for research and up to 3 cents per hundredweight for promotion of U.S. apples with the United States Apple Association. There was no increase in the assessment.

Each apple grower voted on two questions. The first was on the continuation of the program for an additional five years and the second was regarding proposed changes to the program. One crucial change was inclusion of the phrase “up to” before the assessment rates, according to an announcement from the MAC. Eighty-seven percent of growers voted yes for the program to continue and 91 percent of growers voted yes to make the proposed changes to the program. For renewal of the program and its activities, more than 50 percent of the voting growers, representing more than 50 percent of the production of those voting, must have approved it.

Eighty growers voted yes to continue the program, representing more than 42 million hundredweight of apples, or 70 percent. Twelve growers voted not to continue the program, representing more than 18 million hundredweight of apples, or 30 percent. On question two, 84 growers voted yes to make the proposed changes to the Michigan Apple Advertising and Promotion Program, representing over 42 million hundredweight of apples, or 70 percent. Eight voted no on the changes, representing over 18 million hundredweight of apples, or 30 percent.

“We’ve been wanting to change the language to just say ‘up to’ in case we wanted to lower the assessment,” said MAC Executive Director Diane Smith. “We wanted some flexibility; the Michigan Apple Committee board has wanted to do this for a long time. It was strictly a board driven thing, not something that growers were asking for.”

As for the other language changes, those were presented by MDARD in the name of using more gender-neutral terms, Smith stated. Currently used terms such as ‘chairman’ will be replaced by ‘chairperson’ or ‘chair.’ “We’ve had board presidents in the past who were women and our vice chair is female. MDARD is wanting to do this with all the commodity groups when referendum renewal time comes around. They just want to try and update the language.”

Established in 1968, the Michigan Apple Advertising and Promotion Program was developed to enhance the economic position of Michigan apple producers through advertising, promotion and publicity programs; to conduct market development and research; and to obtain and distribute other apple industry information important to producers. MDARD has legal, fiscal and program oversight responsibility for 14 legislatively established commodity boards that have producer check-offs or producer assessments.