USDA Sets New Date
For Sheep Referendum

WASHINGTON — USDA has scheduled a second national referendum on the Sheep and Wool Promotion, Research, Education and Information Order for Oct. 1.

Anyone producing, feeding or importing sheep or sheep products during 1994, except importers of raw wool, are eligible to vote, said USDA Agriculture Marketing Service administrator Lon Hatamiya.

The second referendum is needed because a survey found that rules were inconsistently applied during the first referendum Feb. 6.

Absentee ballots must be received in county offices by Sept. 27, USDA said.

In the February vote, sheep producers nationwide approved the self-taxing proposal that would raise $13 million to $14 million a year to promote the industry. More than half — 10,707 of 19,801 valid ballots — favored the tax. Voting against were 9094 or 45.9 percent.

The checkoff was to impose a fee of one cent per pound on live sheep and two cents per pound on grease wool. Importers would be assessed one cent a pound or the equivalent on imported sheep and sheep products and two cents per pound or the equivalent on imported clean wool and wool products.