The U.S. Department of Agriculture has terminated the potato marketing order for Southeastern states.
Effective March 21, the agency’s move to end the marketing order for Virginia and North Carolina potatoes was at the industry’s request, according to the USDA.
The marketing order had regulated handling of Irish potatoes grown in designated counties of Virginia and North Carolina. There are approximately 10 handlers and 20 producers of Irish potatoes grown in North Carolina and Virginia who were subject to regulation under the order.
The order was initially suspended in 2011, at the recommendation of the committee, to eliminate the expense of administering the marketing order. The industry never petitioned the USDA to reactivate the order and the USDA said it then moved to terminate the order.
