Herbage Seed Growers say 'Yes'

Herbage Seedgrowers responded positively to the Non Proprietary Cultivar (NPC) levy ballot said Hugh Wigley Chairman of the Herbage Seedgrowers Subsection of Federated Farmers. The final result released by the independent auditors showed that of the 28% of those who voted, 72.9% said yes. Of the declared tonnage of seed produced 95% said “yes” to the continuation of the NPC levy.

The NPC levy funds are collected to pay the costs of the maintaining live pre nucleus and nucleus plant crop and to produce breeders seed. There are also costs to maintain international listing of varieties and to provide purity and germination certificates. The Herbage Seedgrowers Subsection of Federated Farmers represents all NPC growers and is able to keep the NPC varieties available to all seed growers.

The Non Proprietary Cultivars to be maintained by an industry levy will be: Grasslands varieties of Nui, Huia, Manawa, Moata, Tama, Ruanui, Pawera, and Pitau.

The ballot proposed to put in place authorisation for an annual levy ranging from 0% to 5% for the five year life of the Levy Order. Each year, Herbage Seedgrowers Subsection estimates the volume of seed to be produced and sets the levy rate to cover the cost of maintaining the NPCs. For the 2008 season, NPC levy rates are 0.4% for Nui and Huia and 3.0% for the remaining NPC varieties. At current market prices for Nui and Huia, the NPC levy works out at less than one cent a kg for Nui or less than 2 cents per kg for Huia.

Growers have given a clear signal that they want the “commons” to remain in grower control and are prepared to continue with the NPC levy said Hugh Wigley. The next step is to take this excellent response to the Minister of Agriculture and ask that a new NPC levy order the “Commodity Levies [Non Proprietary and Uncertified Herbage Seeds] Order”, be put in place for another five years.