Report from the Cranberry Marketing Committee Meeting
March 30, 2000
Minneapolis, MN.

The Committee recalculated estimated domestic and foreign supply for the 2000 crop and subsequent sales. Those numbers are as follows:

Barrels

5,890,000Estimated Domestic Cranberry Production - 2000

800,000 Estimated Foreign Cranberry Production - 2000

6,690,000Total Estimated Production - 2000

4,600,000Estimated carry-in 9/1/2000

11,290,000 Total Available for sales

-360,000 Estimated Shrink

10,930,000 Total Available minus Estimated Shrink

-280,000 Estimated Fresh Fruit Sales*

-5,400,000 Estimated Processed Fruit Sales*

5,250,000 Estimated carry-in as of 8/31/2001

*Sales Period is 9/1/2000 – 8/31/2001 – for fresh and processed

Having calculated the carry-in of 5,250,000 barrels, the Cranberry Marketing Committee then proceeded to discuss and pass the following motions:

Volume Regulation: Motion Passed 7 to 1

To recommend that, for crop year 2000, the Secretary of Agriculture establish a cranberry market volume regulation which uses the producer allotment percentage method, setting the marketable quantity at 5,400,000 barrels and exempting both fresh market pack-out cranberries and certified organic cranberries from volume regulation.

AND

The Cranberry Marketing Committee hereby adopts the following statements with regards to its request for a cranberry market regulation:

The Cranberry Marketing Committee requests that the Secretary of Agriculture act on the Committee’s recommendation for a volume regulation at the earliest possible date commensurate with fulfilling the duties of the secretary under the Cranberry Marketing Order and applicable statutes, time being of the essence if cranberry growers are to maximize the economic benefit of the volume regulation.

The Cranberry Marketing Committee intends to recommend that the Secretary of Agriculture adjust the marketable quantity should the forthcoming determination of the total grower sales history require an adjustment to assure that the marketable quantity is 5,400,000 barrels or the number of barrels equal to but not more than 85% of the total grower sales history, so as to assure that the total barrels withheld does not exceed 15% of total sales history.

Domestic Generic Promotion of Cranberries: Motion Passed Unanimously

To request the Chairman instruct the foreign cranberry promotion sub-committee to evaluate the feasibility of a domestic generic promotion program for cranberries, including a cost/benefit analysis, and to deliver a report and recommendation to the Committee by June 1, 2000.