Approval of marketing orders

A. No marketing order or major amendment to it, which directly affects producers, producer marketing, handlers or processors, shall be made effective by the commissioner unless and until the commissioner finds that it has been approved by producers, handlers or processors in a referendum among those affected. The commissioner may make the finding if the producers, handlers, or processors that cast ballots in the referendum in favor of the marketing order or amendment to it represent not less than sixty-five percent of the total number of producers, handlers, or processors that marketed, handled or processed not less than fifty-one percent of the total quantity of the commodity in the preceding marketing season or if the producers, handlers or processors who cast ballots in favor of the marketing order or major amendment to it represent not less than fifty-one percent of the total number of producers, handlers or processors that marketed, handled or processed not less than sixty-five percent of the total quantity of the commodity which was marketed, handled or processed in the preceding marketing season. B. The commissioner shall establish a referendum period not to exceed thirty days. If the commissioner determines that the referendum period so established does not provide sufficient time for the balloting, he may extend the referendum period not more than fifteen additional days. At the close of the referendum period, the commissioner shall count and tabulate the ballots filed during the referendum period. C. If from the tabulation the commissioner finds that the number of producers, handlers or processors that voted in favor of the marketing order or amendment to the marketing order are sufficient for him to find that producers, handlers, or processors have approved the marketing order or amendment, the commissioner may make the marketing order or amendment to the marketing order effective. D. The commissioner may prescribe such additional procedures as may be necessary to conduct the referendum. E. Any producer that sells a growing crop to be harvested and marketed by another person is entitled to vote in a referendum, if both of the following requirements are complied with: (1) At the time of sale of such growing crop the producer retains the exclusive right so to assent or to so vote. (2) The quantity of such growing crop can be determined to the satisfaction of the commissioner.