Agricultural Marketing Service November 14, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This Notice announces that the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will conduct a Request for Referendum among eligible pork producers and importers of hogs, pigs, pork, and pork products to determine if those persons want a referendum on the Pork Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order (Order), commonly known as the Pork Checkoff Program. The Request for Referendum will be conducted on December 8, 2008 through January 2, 2009. Participation is voluntary. Only those persons who want a referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program will participate. The Request for Referendum is being conducted as a result of a settlement of a lawsuit entered into February 28, 2001, with USDA and the Michigan Pork Producers Association, Inc., et al. (Plaintiffs). Under the settlement agreement, USDA agreed to conduct a Request for Referendum among eligible pork producers and importers to determine whether producers and importers favor holding a referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program. If the results of the the Request for Referendum show that 15 percent of the total number of eligible producers and importers want a referendum on the Pork Checkoff Program, the referendum will be conducted within 1 year after the results of the Request for Referendum are announced. If results of the Request for Referendum indicate that a referendum is not supported, a referendum would not be conducted.