Agricultural Marketing Service Research and Promotion Boards
Stored: Agricultural Marketing Service Research and Promotion Boards
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Agricultural Marketing Service Research and Promotion Boards are a collection of 21 industry-led boards under the oversight of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), part of the Department of Agriculture, designed to enhance the marketing and development of various agricultural commodities through research and promotion efforts.
Mission
The mission of AMS Research and Promotion Boards is to bolster agricultural commodity markets by funding research, expanding market opportunities domestically and internationally, and promoting consumer awareness, all while operating under AMS oversight to ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
Parent organization
These boards are overseen by the Agricultural Marketing Service, which operates under the Department of Agriculture.
Legislation
The boards were authorized collectively through various acts since 1966, with foundational legislation including the Commodity Research and Promotion Act and specific acts for each commodity (e.g., Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974).
Partners
- Agricultural producers and industry stakeholders funding the boards
- AMS for oversight and guideline enforcement
- Universities and research institutions for scientific studies
Number of employees
Employee numbers vary by board and are not collectively reported; AMS staff oversee operations, but boards employ their own personnel, typically ranging from a few to dozens per board.
Organization structure
Each board operates independently but shares a common framework under AMS:
Leader
AMS oversight is led by the **Deputy Administrator, Research and Promotion Programs**, while each board has its own chairperson or executive director.
Divisions
- Boards typically include:
- Research committees for commodity innovation - Promotion committees for marketing campaigns - Administrative staff for operations
List of programs
- American Egg Board for egg promotion
- Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board for beef marketing
- National Dairy Promotion and Research Board for dairy campaigns
- (See AMS website for full list of 21 boards)
Last total enacted budget
Budgets are not aggregated across all boards; individual budgets range from millions to tens of millions annually (e.g., American Egg Board: ~$20 million), funded by industry assessments.
Staff
Staffing varies per board, including marketing specialists, researchers, and administrators, with AMS providing additional oversight personnel.
Funding
Funding comes from mandatory industry assessments (e.g., $0.10 per 30-dozen egg case for eggs), totaling hundreds of millions collectively, overseen by AMS and paid by producers and handlers.
Services provided
The boards provide market research, consumer promotion campaigns (e.g., “Got Milk?”), industry education, and new product development to strengthen agricultural markets.
Regulations overseen
Boards don’t oversee regulations but operate under AMS-enforced guidelines ensuring compliance with their enabling acts and orders.
Headquarters address
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250 (AMS headquarters; individual board offices vary)
History
Since 1966, Congress has authorized these boards to allow agricultural industries to self-fund promotion and research, with AMS oversight formalized in 1972. Each board has its own founding legislation, starting with commodities like cotton and expanding to 21 by 2025.