The Farm Service Agency has announced that USDA will offer soybean producers the opportunity to request a referendum on the Soybean Promotion and Research Order, as authorized under the Soybean Promo?tion, Research, and Consumer Information Act.
The request for referendum will be conducted at county FSA offices. To be eligible to participate, producers must certify and provide documentation that shows that they produced soybeans and paid an assessment on the soybeans during Jan. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2008.
Beginning May 4 and continuing through May 29 of this year, producers may obtain a form by mail, fax, or in person from their local county office.
Forms may also be obtained at www.ams.usda.gov/lsmarketingprograms during the same period.
Individual producers and other producer entities may request a referendum at the county FSA office where their administrative farm records are maintained. For the producer not participating in FSA programs, the opportunity to request a referendum will be provided at the county FSA office where the producer owns or rents land.
Completed forms and supporting documentation must be returned to the appropriate county FSA office by fax or in person no later than close of business May 29; or if returned by mail, must be postmarked by midnight May 29 and received in the county FSA office by close of business June 5.
The soybean check-off program is administered by a producer board and is designed to expand uses of soybeans and soybean products in domestic and foreign markets. The national program is financed by a mandatory assessment of one-half of 1 percent of the net market price of soybeans.
