USDA Research & Promotion Programs and Marketing Orders

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service administers programs for producers of food, fiber and specialty crops including research & promotion programs and marketing orders. Here's an overview of USDA's research & promotion programs and marketing orders.

 

There are three types of research & promotion programs and marketing orders:

  • Research & promotion programs

    • There are 22 research & promotion (R&P) programs today. R&P programs are authorized and overseen by USDA but funded and administered by the industry that's requested it.

    • These are the ag marketing programs that many consumers are familiar with as the promotion side of these efforts has brought tag-lines like "Got Milk?" and "Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives" to print, television and internet advertising.

    • Farmers and academics are often well acquainted with the groups' research efforts. While some of this work is use/function research, much of it focused on improving farmers' yields and systems.

    • In 2015, the Organic Trade Association submitted an application to USDA to establish an organic research and promotion check-off program.

 

  • Fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements

    • The fruit and veg marketing orders and agreements allow agricultural producers and handlers to work together on efforts that include:

      • maintaining the high quality of produce,

      • standardizing packages and containers,

      • regulating the flow of product to market and

      • authorizing research and development as well as advertising.

    • Orders are binding for the entire industry in a designated area. Marketing agreements only bind those handlers that sign on.

    • Today there are 29 fruit, vegetable and specialty crop marketing orders and agreements.

 

  • Milk marketing orders

    • Currently there are 10 Federal milk marketing orders. In the dairy industry they're known as FMMOs.

    • The milk orders assure a minimum milk price for dairy farmers while ensuring consumers an adequate supply of milk. They help maintain stable marketing relationships for the handlers (milk processors) and producers (dairy farmers) supplying a marketing area thereby facilitating the complex process of getting an extremely perishable product to market for consumers.

    • California has a state order. In 2015 a group of dairy cooperatives requested that USDA establish a FMMO for California. That process began in 2015 and is expected to take a couple (few?) years.

Here's an example 

  • Fruit, Vegetable & Specialty Crop Marketing Orders

    • Almonds

    • Apricots

    • Avocados

    • Cherries: Sweet;Tart

    • Citrus: Florida; Texas

    • Cranberries

    • Dates

    • Grapes

    • Hazelnut

    • Kiwifruit

    • Olives

    • Onions: Idaho-Eastern Oregon; South Texas; Vidalia; Walla Walla

    • Pears: Oregon-Washington

    • Pistachios

    • Plums/Prunes: California

    • Potatoes: Idaho-E. Oregon; Washington; Oregon-California; Colorado; Virginia-North Carolina

    • Raisins

    • Spearmint Oil

    • Tomatoes

    • Walnuts