USDA this month announced the appointment of 18 persons to serve on the Peanut Standards Board. The 2002 Farm Bill established the new board to provide consultation to USDA related to quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts.

The new Peanut Standards Board consists of 18 members with representation equally divided between peanut producers and peanut industry representatives. Three producers each are from the Southeast, Southwest, the Virginia and- Carolina peanut producing regions. The board also includes 3 peanut industry representatives from each of the 3 peanut producing regions.

For the terms of office ending June 30, 2003, 2004 and 2005, the b oard members are:

Southwest Region (Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico) producers: John Clay of Carnegie, Okla. (2003); Andy Timmons of Brownfield, Texas (2004); and R. Wayne Hardin of Portales, N.M. (2005).

Southwest industry representatives: Jimmie Shearer of Portales, N.M. (2003); Alan L. Ortloff of Madill, Okla. (2004); and Doyle Welch of Lubbock, Texas (2005).

Southeast Region (Alabama, Georgia and Florida) producers: Wayne E. Shannon of Tifton, Ga.(term ending 2003); Larry Ford of Greenwood, Fla. (2004); and Martin L. McLendon of Leary, Ga. (2005).

Industry representatives are Jack Chastain of Rochelle, Ga. (2003); Ben Smith of Columbus, Ga. (2004); and Dennis R. Finch of Samson, Ala. (2005).

Virginia-Carolina Region (North Carolina and Virginia) producers: George McGee of Severn, N.C. (2003); Paul W. Rogers Jr., Wakefield, Va. (2004); and James W. Mason of Harrellsville, N.C. (2005).

Industry representatives are Dan Boone of Chesapeake, Va. (2003); Charles R. Birdsong of Suffolk, Va. (2004); and Linda G. Lee of Windsor, N.C. (2005).

More information is available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/peanut-farmbill.htm.