MEDIA RELEASES

10 May 2011

Navel Orange Growers Vote in Favour of Levy

New Zealand Citrus Growers Inc is pleased to announce that growers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the renewal of the Commodity Levy on New Zealand grown Navel oranges. The levy will be used to fund important research and development projects over the next five years.

Votes were cast by growers representing around 65% of New Zealand's Navel orange production. Of those who voted, over 77% supported the levy. The referendum also takes into account the production tonnage of those who vote, and the production of those who voted "Yes" was 79% of the total tonnage versus 21% against.

 "I think we've done a lot of good work over the past five years, and a lot of this wouldn't have been possible without a Commodity Levy," said David Ingoe, Chairman of New Zealand Citrus Growers Inc's Orange & Tangelo Product Group. "If the Commodity Levy wasn't renewed we would have had to reduce the amount of research we want to do in the future so it's great to see that growers support the work we've done."

 There are currently over 7,000 tonnes of Navel oranges grown each year on commercial orchards in New Zealand, with almost all of this being sold on the domestic market.  Work that the Orange & Tangelo Product Group is looking to fund in the next few years, registration of new agrichemicals and options for enhancing fruit size, will help export growers become more efficient and perhaps open up export markets.  Following the successful levy vote, an application will now be made to the Minister of Agriculture for renewal of the Navel orange levy order.

"It's good to have this vote of confidence from the growers we're aiming to help," Mr Ingoe said.  "I hope we'll see a lot of growers at our conference in September when we can talk about where we'll go from here."

07 April 2011

Navel orange levy referendum underway

The New Zealand Citrus Growers Inc's Orange & Tangelo Product Group has collected a Commodity Levy on navel oranges since 2006.  This levy has allowed the funding of many projects which have had a significant benefit for the industry, including research into Australian citrus whitefly control, trials to determine navel orange pre-harvest intervals, monitoring of the navel orange market, and assessment of new cultivars and rootstocks.  Commodity Levies lapse on their sixth anniversary so the Orange & Tangelo Product Group is seeking a new levy in preparation for this.

It is important that all navel orange growers have their say on this issue and register to vote. A discussion paper was sent to all known growers of navel oranges in February and a meeting was held at the Bushmere Arms in Gisborne.

Voting papers have now been mailed to all known navel orange growers to determine support for the levy.  Under the Commodity Levies Act, NZCGI must achieve 50% of votes by both production volume and grower numbers to achieve the Commodity Levy.  This levy would not change the current voluntary levy collection on any other orange or citrus varieties.   Any navel growers that have not received voting papers are asked to contact NZCGI urgently so that voting papers can be distributed.  Voting closes on Friday 29^th April and the result will be made public during the following week