Sacramento, Calif.—The California Department of Food and Agriculture is extending the Pierce’s Disease/Glassy Winged Sharpshooter, PD/GWSS, referendum to June 10 to ensure the vote receives a minimum eligible grower participation rate of 40%.

Another ballot will be sent to all growers whose votes have not been received by May 11. Growers are encouraged to vote and return their ballots by June 10.

Depending on how wineries reported grower information, some ballots may have gone to management companies on behalf of growers. Growers who use management companies should check with them to see if any ballots have been received, according to a bulletin released today by the CDFA's PD/GWSS board. 

The CDFA sent out over 7,000 ballots on April 10 to every grower who paid the assessment on grapes crushed in 2014. Growers who represent more than one entity will receive a ballot for each entity. They are not duplicates and should be voted on and returned to CDFA.

Growers who believe they are entitled to vote but did not receive a ballot should call the CDFA Marketing Branch at 916-900-5018, or visit pdgwss.net for more information.