New Zealand’s Kiwifruit Growers Begin Referendum Vote

• Support referendum for a compulsory levy on kiwifruit exports except Australia is now underway
• Levy funds growers’ advocacy organisation, New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc.

From 23 February until 24 March, New Zealand’s kiwifruit growers are invited to participate in a postal and online referendum for a compulsory levy on kiwifruit exports except Australia.

The proposed levy would continue to fund NZKGI’s activities which will include an increased focus on the monitoring and reporting of industry performance. The last referendum took place in 2017. Since that time NZKGI has used the levy to produce significant outcomes for kiwifruit growers. This has included supporting growers through COVID-19, to advocate for the Single Point of Entry marketing structure, hold Zespri to account and to attract labour to the industry.

NZKGI Chairman, Mark Mayston strongly encourages growers to vote in the referendum. “It is in each individual growers’ interest to be engaged in this process. As we are seeing with issues like the proposed ban of Hi-Cane, the success of their business often comes down to the advocacy that NZKGI provides them.”

The referendums’ significance is reinforced by NZKGI CEO Colin Bond who says, “this is an important opportunity for kiwifruit growers to make their vote count and we strongly encourage all Growers to participate in the referendum. Grower votes will show the Minister of Agriculture the level of support there is to continue the funding for kiwifruit grower advocacy.”

All growers are entitled to vote and will be sent voting papers. A grower is considered to be the “titleholder of kiwifruit”, meaning a person that has legal and beneficial title to kiwifruit when it is supplied to an exporter. The grower is sometimes not the owner of land.

Growers who have not received a ballot pack in the post by Wednesday, 1st of April should contact NZKGI on 0800 232 505 or info@nzkgi.org.nz.

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