Peach growers to vote in April on assessment

N.C. peach growers can vote on an assessment for commercial orchards during a mail-in referendum in April. The assessment was proposed by the N.C. Peach Growers Society to generate funds for peach research and marketing.

Ballots will be mailed to each commercial orchard in the state on April 1. Growers will have 10 days to return the ballots. Ballots will also be available at local N.C. Cooperative Extension offices, or may be downloaded at http://peaches.ces.ncsu.edu.

To vote, an individual must be 18 years old by April 1 and also be an orchard owner. If passed, the annual assessment would be based on the total number of peach trees per commercial orchard, with assessments ranging from $100-$350. The assessment would be in effect from January 2015 through December 2020.