Interesting Facts about the Popcorn Board and Popcorn Export! With the US. producing over 500,000 tons of popcorn per year and over 100,000 tons is exported, somebody needs to control this well liked snack. That's where congress comes in. We have the United States Popcorn Board. The Popcorn Board works to inform consumers about research, promotions,and the economic importance of popcorn.The Popcorn Board consists of a nine member panel.

The Panel is chosen from processors who typically distribute over 4 million pounds of popcorn annually. The Secretary of Agriculture nominates members from a list submitted by the industry itself. The board is funded by assessments from all processors and is limited to individual assessments of $81,000.

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) monitors the Board's administration.

The United States Popcorn Board is a Consumer Information Act signed by president Clinton. President Clinton being a big popcorn fan, signed the act on April 4, 1996.The law is TITLE 7 > CHAPTER 101 > SUBCHAPTER V > - 7481. It is commonly know as Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Act.

Congress says that-

* Popcorn is an important food that is a valuable part of the human diet;

* The production and processing of popcorn plays a significant role in the economy of the United States in that popcorn is processed by several popcorn processors, distributed through wholesale and retail outlets, and consumed by millions of people throughout the United States and foreign countries;

* Popcorn must be of high quality, readily available, handled properly, and marketed efficiently to ensure that the benefits of popcorn are available to the people of the United States;

* The maintenance and expansion of existing markets and uses and the development of new markets and uses for popcorn are vital to the welfare of processors and persons concerned with marketing, using, and producing popcorn for the market, as well as to the agricultural economy of the United States;

* The cooperative development, financing, and implementation of a coordinated program of popcorn promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information is necessary to maintain and expand markets for popcorn;

* Popcorn moves in interstate and foreign commerce, and popcorn that does not move in those channels of commerce directly burdens or affects interstate commerce in popcorn.

The latest Census of Agriculture states that, domestic production was over 996 million pounds in 1997.

Popcorn is grown in 25 states. The top 5 major producing states in 1997 are Nebraska (27%), Indiana (21%), Illinois (13%), Ohio (9%) and Missouri with (6%).

Popcorn is exported to over 90 countries. In 1999 the 2 largest export markets were Mexico (17% exported) and Canada (14% exported). Other major export markets are Sweden, The United Kingdom, Germany,Spain, Italy, Thailand, Korea, Denmark, The Philippines and Japan.

Most of the world's production of popcorn is from the United States. Small Amounts are usually imported from Canada and Argentina.