Tart Cherry Growers and Processors Vote to Continue the Federal Marketing Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that tart cherry growers and processors voted to continue their marketing order program.

In a referendum held March 30 through April 20, 2026, 62.7% of voting tart cherry growers and 69.6% of voting tart cherry processors favor continuance of the marketing order program, representing 75.3% of the production volume and 65.6% of the processed volume voted in the referendum, respectively. For the marketing order to continue, a majority of growers and processors voting, or growers and processors representing a majority of the volume, must vote in favor of continuance.

The Cherry Industry Administrative Board administers the marketing order which authorizes quality regulations, research and promotion programs, and volume control for tart cherries grown in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Tart Cherry webpage.

Authorized by the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as amended, marketing orders are industry-driven programs that help producers and handlers achieve marketing success by leveraging their own funds to design and execute programs that they would not be able to do individually. AMS provides oversight to fruit, vegetable, and specialty crops marketing orders to ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

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