Michigan Wheat Growers Vote to Continue Marketing Program

LANSING, Mich.-The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) announced today that Michigan wheat producers have approved a referendum to continue the Michigan Wheat Program.

Consistent with its statutory responsibilities, MDARD organized a referendum between February 9 and 20 in which qualifying Michigan wheat producers voted on whether to continue the Michigan Wheat Program or allow it to sunset.

A total of 685 ballots were cast in the referendum. Of the 623 valid ballots:

• 514 producers voted yes (82 percent) representing 8,708,502 bushels (80 percent)
• 109 producers voted no (18 percent) representing 2,189,304 bushels (20 percent).

Based on the results of the referendum, the Michigan Wheat Program will continue for an additional five years, beginning September 1, 2026, and ending August 31, 2031. The current assessment rate is one half of one percent (0.5%) of value of wheat sold.

The purpose of the Michigan Wheat Program is to promote profitable production, marketing and utilization of wheat on behalf of Michigan producers. The program emphasizes advancements in wheat research, education, information delivery, market development and industry-wide collaboration. Funding for this program comes from wheat farmers themselves; funds go directly to the Michigan Wheat Program and are not taxpayer dollars.

The Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act (P.A. 232 of 1965) enables the creation of programs to promote the profitable production, marketing and utilization of agriculture commodities produced in Michigan. These programs must be approved via referendum every five years by more than 50 percent of voting commodity producers whose collective output represents more than 50 percent of the volume of the affected agricultural commodity produced in Michigan. Approved programs use producer assessments or check-offs to fund their research, education and marketing activities.

The Michigan Wheat Program was established by a referendum of the state's wheat producers in June 2011. Majorities of voting wheat producers supported the program s continuation via referenda held in 2016, 2021 and 2026.

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