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Wisconsin cranberry growers approve checkoff increase

Wisconsin cranberry growers have voted to allow their industry’s marketing order board to increase fees the board collects. The referendum results have been certified, the proposed rule now goes to Governor Walker for his review.  If the Governor approves it, it then goes to the State Legislature for their blessing. The approved referendum does not automatically increase the fees. Rather, it starts a process that could allow the board to do so in the future.

If all of that comes to fruition, the rule would be published and the Wisconsin Cranberry Marketing Board would have the authority to increase the current assessment of 10 cents per barrel to a maximum of 15 cents. In addition, the board could vote to increase the fee to a maximum 20 cents per barrel in 2017 and maximum 25 cents per barrel starting in 2019.

Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state in the nation. In 2013, Badger State growers produced 6 million barrels of cranberries, which was 67 percent of all cranberries produced in the United States.