FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009

Board of Agriculture to vote on referendum requests April 8

RALEIGH – The N.C. Board of Agriculture will meet Wednesday, April 8, to vote on two referendum requests.

The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hall of Fame Room of the Agriculture Building, 2 W. Edenton St. It is open to the public.

The Tobacco Research Commission, a consortium of agriculture groups, is seeking approval to conduct a referendum on renewing an assessment on flue-cured and burley tobacco. Currently, tobacco growers pay 10 cents per 100 pounds of tobacco to support research. The assessment expires this year.

The N.C. Cattlemen’s Association is seeking approval to conduct a referendum on reinstating the state’s beef cattle assessment. Since 1986, the beef industry has operated under a national assessment program that promotes beef as a commodity. Previously, N.C. cattle farmers had operated under an assessment that could be used to promote the state’s cattle industry in general.

The Board of Agriculture is a policy-making body that adopts regulations for many of the programs administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Its 10 members are appointed by the governor. The commissioner of agriculture serves as chairman of the board.

-bal-2