Voting urged for levy renewal

Summerfruit New Zealand chairman Gary Bennetts (pictured),  vice-chairman Tim Jones and chief...
Summerfruit New Zealand chairman Gary Bennetts (pictured), vice-chairman Tim Jones and chief executive Marie Dawkins recently visited growers nationally to hear their views about the proposed levy. Photo from Southern Rural Life files.
Growers are being urged to have their voices heard in Summerfruit New Zealand's levy renewal round.

Summerfruit New Zealand chief executive Marie Dawkins said it was important for all growers to vote to ensure the renewal process did not need to be repeated.

A two-tiered system, in which 50% of respondents must vote yes and their combined sales figures must add up to more than 50% of the sales value of respondents, is used to approve the levy.

Ms Dawkins said Summerfruit New Zealand hoped to continue the existing levy with apricot, peach and plum growers contributing 1.5% of sales and cherry growers 0.75%.

She, along with chairman Gary Bennetts and vice-chairman Tim Jones, had visited growers nationally to hear their views and concerns, and feedback from growers had been positive about the proposed levy, she said.

''We have had really good response,'' Ms Dawkins said.

''We haven't had one negative response about the levy itself.''

The most vital part of the process was for growers to vote, she said.

Voter apathy could lead to the process needing to be repeated at a cost of about $30,000.

From grower feedback and the amount of returns ''coming through consistently'' she was ''confident'' the levy would be approved by voters.

''I don't want to be cocky, but we are quietly confident we will pass the 50% level,'' Ms Dawkins said.

The levy would be used on an ''expanding range'' of research and biosecurity would be a focus.

The Government was looking at the joint management of biosecurity with primary industries under Government Industry Agreements (GIA) at present.

If Summerfruit New Zealand was to sign a GIA Deed with the Government, it was hoped the cost could be covered by the existing levy, Ms Dawkins said.

''If we got to the point we needed more [money], we would have to go to the growers and see if we could do this differently,'' she said.

Voting opened on November 1 and closes on November 29.

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