Michigan dry bean producers approve continuation referendum

Agency: Agriculture and Rural Development

For immediate release: June 24, 2014
Media Contact: Jennifer Holton, 517-284-5724 or
holtonj@michigan.gov
LANSING - Michigan dry bean producers have approved a referendum to continue the
Michigan Bean Commission and its activities.
The Michigan Bean Commission and program will continue for an additional five years
beginning Jan. 1, 2015, and ending Dec. 31, 2019. The current assessment is $.10 per
hundredweight sold.
A total of 320 valid ballots were cast in the referendum. Of those, 292 producers voted
yes (91 percent) representing 1,552,323 hundredweight (90 percent) and 28 producers
voted no (9 percent) representing 179,411 hundredweight (10 percent). For the
Commission and its activities to have been renewed, more than 50 percent of the voting
producers, representing over 50 percent of the hundredweight sold by those voting,
must have approved it.
The Michigan Bean Commission was appointed to improve the economic position of the
states dry bean producers by promoting research on bean varieties and agronomic
practices as well as research on developing and discovering the health, food,
therapeutic, and dietetic value of beans and bean products; carrying out market
development, market research, and promotional programs; and compiling and
publicizing commodity information.
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