California prune growers recently voiced unanimous support for the California Prune Board at a public hearing.
With the support, the California Prune Board is approved for another five years, through July 2025, without the need for a grower referendum.
“The board’s work is vitally important to the success of the prune industry,” Joe Turkovich, grower and chairman of the board, said in a news release. “It has carefully considered strategic priorities that will continue building industry momentum for the next five years and beyond.”
According to the release, the board has helped the industry:
- Secure more than $50 million in sales to the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2017-19;
- Fund more than $1.25 million over the past three years in nutrition research;
- Invest more than $1.3 million over the past three years to crop production research;
- Secure $11.4 million in federal grants for export programs and developing international markets; and
- Develop a new California Prunes brand.
The California Prune Board’s priorities include nutrition research, trade policy and market support, industry unification and production research.
“We have listened intently to California prune growers and handlers to identify these priority areas that will inform our focus, guide our decisions, and ultimately, make a positive and sustained difference for the global California prune industry,” Donn Zea, executive director of the board, said in the release.
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