Voting on HortNZ levy opens

HortNZ's board wants grower support for continued levy funding for the next six years. HortNZ will cease to exist without this funding, when the current levy order expires in June 2013.

Voting papers for the HortNZ levy referendum have been posted to all 6000 commercial fruit and vegetable growers. Voting closes on September 28 at 5pm.

The referendum is seeking approval for a grower levy of 15 cents for every $100 of sales on all fruit and vegetables, which is the same as the maximum levy rate in the current order.

This rate is forecast to raise about $2.5 million a year for HortNZ work on industry wide issues, like biosecurity policy, land and water use issues and seasonal labour needs.

"Our biggest single success has been our ability to unify growers' voices," HortNZ president Andrew Fenton says.

"The industry faces enormous challenges now and in the next few years. So it's critical to have a unified voice if we are going to overcome these challenges and grow the industry value."

The major change since the last referendum (in 2005) is that because HortNZ can no longer rely on the Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust to top up the fruit growers' levy, it is proposing that all growers pay the same levy rate.

This year fresh vegetable, potato, process vegetable and fresh tomato growers currently paying an integrated HortNZ and Product Group levy will receive at least two voting papers, one for the HortNZ levy and one for each additional product group levy. Growers must vote for both to continue to receive the same level of services.

"We have received very positive feedback from the more than 100 meetings with growers held to discuss the proposal since March," Andrews says.

"Now is the time for growers to have their say. Their voices will not be heard if we do not have HortNZ."