Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed six members to serve on the National Mango Board for three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2017, and ending Dec. 31, 2019.
The members include importers Christopher A. Ciruli, of Tubac, Ariz.; Jiovani Guevara, of Phoenix; and Marsela Mcgrane-Vogel, of San Pedro, Calif. Also appointed are foreign producers Norberto Galvan, of Tapachula Chiapas, Mexico; Joaquin Balarezo, of Piura, Peru; and Eddy Rene Martinez Moran, of Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the National Mango Board in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 and the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order. The program is administered by board members who are nominated by their respective industries and appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs. USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the National Mango Board.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion. For information on the board, contact Jeanette Palmer, Marketing Specialist by phone: (202) 720-9915, or email: Jeanette.Palmer@ams.usda.gov.