Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
North Carolina dairy producers and flue-cured tobacco farmers will be voting on assessment programs in January.
On Jan. 20, dairy producers will vote on a three-year assessment program that would help fund dairy education, research and industry promotions. If the referendum passes, dairy producers would contribute 2 cents per 100 pounds of Grade A milk sold to processors. If approved, the assessment would start on March 1 and be in effect for three years.
Each Grade A permitted dairy will have one vote. The vote will take place at N.C. Cooperative Extension offices in the 46 counties with Grade A dairy herds.
The other referendum coming up will be on Jan. 27. On that day, flue-cured tobacco farmers will vote on whether to continue their self-assessment to support export promotion and expansion programs through Tobacco Associates for another three years. The exact assessment will be approved by the N.C. Tobacco Associates Board of Directors, but the amount will not exceed one-fifth of 1 cent per pound of tobacco sold. The assessment would be in effect for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 marketing years.
Ballots for this referendum also will be available at N.C. Cooperative Extension offices.
For more information about these referendums, dairy producers and tobacco growers should contact their county extension office.
Click on the audio player below to hear Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss these referendums.
[Audio:/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_1-19-16.mp3|titles=Today’s Topic for Jan. 19]
Southern Farm Network is a division of Curtis Media Group.