Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today appointed three members and three alternates to serve on the Hass Avocado Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Nov. 1, 2016 and ending on Oct. 31, 2019.
Appointed as producer members were Linda Mullins, of Temecula, Calif., and Salvador L. Dominguez, of Santa Paula, Calif. Named as producer alternate members were Jim Swoboda, of Goleta, Calif., and Ohannes Z. Karaoghlanian, of Temecula, Calif. The appointed importer member is Keith Barnard, of Ventura, Calif., and the appointed importer alternate member is Patrick Lucy, of Bonsall, Calif.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight of the Hass Avocado Board in accordance with the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research and Information Act of 2000 and the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research, and Information Order. Board members selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture administer the program. USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs.
Research and promotion programs are funded by industry, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. The boards 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.
More information about the Hass Avocado Board is available online at www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-promotion/hass-avocado, or from AMS’ Specialty Crops Program, Promotion and Economics Division at (202) 720-9915.
For more information about research and promotion programs, visit www.ams.usda.gov/FVPromotion.