AMS Attempts to Quiet Pork Vote Squabble

January 6, 2000

Agricultural Marketing Service officials met Wednesday with both sides in the dispute over a referendum to determine the future of the pork checkoff program that funds advertising, promotion and research. AMS sought to illustrate a complicated verification process the agency is using to validate the 18,600 signatures submitted in favor of a referendum.

Both the Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG) Inc. and the National Pork Producers Council had expressed concerns over the validation process. Checkoff opponents submitted 18,600 signatures last May on petitions calling for a referendum.

In a letter last month to AMS Administrator Kathleen Merrigan, FLAG attorney Lynn Hayes called the "delays in completing the petition verification process...inexcusable. Pork producers are already questioning USDA's commitment to democracy due to the lengthy delays."

On Dec. 30, NPPC President John McNutt sent his own letter to Merrigan, laying out NPPC concerns in the verification process. A major issue for NPPC was a telephone survey AMS was conducting as part of signature verification.

A total of 14,986 valid signatures is required, 15% of persons who are producers and importers, to force a referendum. The Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment claimed 18,600 signatures were submitted. AMS said it counted and numbered 19,043 petition signatures.

After an initial verification process, AMS came up with 12,428 valid signatures, 2,558 fewer than required for a referendum. However, once further verifications have been completed, it is possible that more than the 14,986 required signatures will be validated, said AMS.

The process is complex and open to criticism at almost every turn. One of the proponents of a referendum criticized AMS at the Wednesday meeting for making a complicated presentation and not giving proponents enough time to respond adequately.

Merrigan told the meeting she hoped to have the process completed by the end of January.