27 Jul 2012

Industry levy appears to have growers' support

1:54 pm on 27 July 2012

Horticulture New Zealand says it is confident growers will vote in favour of an industry levy to take effect next year.

The growers levy is renewed ever six years and this is the first time it has come back for renewal since the organisation was formed in 2005.

Growers are being asked to continue with a maximum levy rate of 15 cents per $100 of sales.

Horticulture New Zealand president Andrew Fenton says grower support is essential.

He says discussions with different groups over the past few months show the support is there at the moment.

But the vote does not take place until September, so he says there is a way to go yet.

Horticulture New Zealand is proposing that the levy collection agent fee be reduced from 10% to 4%.

Mr Fenton says that change is finding support among agents, who recognise that electronic systems have made collection a lot simpler.