Purdue News

March 12, 1999 Mint growers to vote on retaining 4-cent checkoff WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Indiana Mint Market Development Council will hold a referendum for mint growers to vote on continuing the mint checkoff. The referendum will be administered by the Purdue University Office of Agricultural Research Programs, which also administers the checkoff program. Registered mint growers will receive certification/ballot forms in the mail. Growers who are not registered can sign up at the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service office in their county or by contacting W.R. Woodson, director of Agricultural Research Programs, AGAD Building, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906. Registration and ballots must be postmarked by April 1 to be counted. The checkoff is 4 cents per pound. If the continuation referendum passes, checkoff funds will continue to be collected at the point of first sale. Growers can obtain a refund if they do not choose to participate. Indiana mint growers approved the checkoff in 1987. Since then, the program has been led by the Mint Market Development Council, which is made up of elected mint growers. The goal of the program is to develop new markets and to research new uses for Indiana mint and mint oil products. Indiana ranks fourth in the nation in peppermint production, with 966,000 pounds produced in 1997 for a value of $13.1 million, and fifth in spearmint production with 74,000 pounds produced for a value of $888,000. CONTACT: John Trott, assistant to the director of Agricultural Research Programs, (765) 494-8370; jot@aes.purdue.edu Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page