New Federated Farmers meat and wool chair praises predecessor
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
The Non-Proprietary and Uncertified Herbage Seeds Levy order will continue for another six years.
Growers overwhelmingly supported the levy.
"In fact, from 82% in favour at the last levy vote in 2014, support shown during the vote last November had risen to 91%," says Federated Farmers Herbage Seedgrowers Subsection chairperson, Hugh Wigley.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and the rest of Cabinet have approved continuation of the levy, and it will be gazetted this week.
"Grasses and clovers are vital to our sector but contracts for growing from proprietary seed are not always available and are more expensive. This levy safeguards supply of non-proprietary and uncertified seeds and provides different options to our farmers," says Wigley.
The Commodity Levies (Non-proprietary and Uncertified Seeds) Order, known as the Commons, was first mandated in 1997 when the responsibility for maintaining these cultivars was transferred to industry from Government.
Levies are collected from the following Commons: Nui, Moata, Manawa, Tama, Ruanui, Huia and Pawera, as well as uncertified ryegrass, red and white clover.
For the Commons to continue to be publicly available, live nucleus and pre-nucleus seed of each of the Commons must be maintained to make breeders and basic seed available to growers.
It costs an estimated $180,000 for Grasslanz Technology to ensure this base material is available to growers.
About 15 to 20% of this material comes from the commercial sale of breeders and basic seed, while the remainder comes from the levy.
The levy is collected on behalf of Federated Farmers by all seed testing stations on the first purity and germination test. It is set at a fixed per kg cost on the projected harvest of each of the Commons and the estimated kg price received by the grower. The maximum levy rate is 5%, although it is typically around 1.5 to 2%.
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.