The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces that soybean producers may request a referendum
to determine whether producers want the Secretary to conduct a referendum on the Soybean
Promotion and Research Order (Order), as authorized under the Soybean Promotion, Research, and
Consumer Information Act (Act). Participation in the request for referendum is voluntary. Producers
should participate only if they wish to request a referendum on the program.
If at least 10 percent, not to exceed ⅕ of producers from any one State, of the 515,008 eligible
producers determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) participate in the request for
referendum, a referendum will be held within one year from that determination. If results of the request
for referendum indicate that a referendum is not supported, a referendum will not be conducted. The
results of the request for referendum will be published in a notice in the Federal Register.
To Request Referendum:
Soybean producers may request a referendum during the 4-week period beginning May 6, 2024, and
ending May 31, 2024.
To be eligible to participate in the request for referendum, producers must certify that they or the
producer entity they are authorized to represent paid an assessment at any time between January 1,
2022, and December 31, 2023.
Form LS-51-1, Soybean Promotion and Research Order Request for Referendum, can be obtained from
May 6, 2024, to May 31, 2024, by mail, FAX, or in person from Farm Service Agency (FSA) County
Offices, or can be downloaded from https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-
promotion/soybean. Completed forms and supporting documentation must be returned to the
appropriate FSA County Office:
By FAX or in person no later than COB on May 31, 2024.
By mail postmarked by midnight on May 31, 2024, and must be
received in the FSA County Office by COB on June 7, 2024.
Contact
Notice of the Request for Referendum was published in the February 2, 2024, Federal Register. For more
information, contact Jeana Harbison, Research and Promotion Division; Livestock and Poultry Program,
AMS, USDA; STOP 0249 – Room 2092-S; 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, D.C. 20250-0249;
tel. (202) 720-5705; or via the Internet at https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/research-
promotion/soybean.
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