3 minute read
MAKE SURE YOU VOTE
Strawberries is one of the country’s smallest commodity levy groups and one of its newest. But our commodity levy, whilst new, is proving that collaboration and collective action can make a very real difference for growers.
By Sally King : Strawberry Growers NZ executive manager
We don’t have the scale of some of the other commodity levy groups, but we do have a strong affiliation to Horticulture New Zealand, and that gives Strawberry Growers NZ (SGNZ) some voice in the direction of growing in Aotearoa/New Zealand. No grower can operate without sensible rules around water, land and labour; SGNZ advocates hard along with our colleagues for rational and balanced rules and reminds the authorities that there is more to farming than the ‘big end of town’ such as dairy production, animals and forestry.
A recent example: city, district, and regional council officials were invited to visit Berry Farms NZ in Hastings with HortNZ and SGNZ to discuss the challenges in developing berry farms – including competing and sometimes contradictory rules and requirements. Hats off to the officials – a decent number turned up to walk a farm and see why a covered crop, for example, is not a building; or how we manage water; or why our setbacks need not reflect those for other crops. Eyes were opened, good conversations began, and some of rules that are a matter of interpretation can – and I hope will – be better managed after that visit. Similar meetings are being planned in other regions too.
The commodity levy supports this advocacy, but also a wide range of collective issues such as biosecurity, food safety, best practice guidance, factsheets, fantastic research from our talented and hardworking technical team at Berryworld, and protecting/developing our market access to export markets. In the five years of our levy, we have learnt a great deal about sustainable pest management, and specific projects for which we have received government and private co-funding have addressed thrips, Botrytis, mirids and more. SGNZ promotes berries each season via the 5+ A Day programme and in any media opportunity we can grasp. In addition, SGNZ supports the sector in any major event. The country has had a tumultuous five years – a worldwide pandemic, Cyclone Gabrielle and Cyclone Hale. The resilience of the community is exceptional, but SGNZ provides backroom support to ensure information flows to officials and growers connect with the right resources to cope.
Please take a moment to reflect on what the levy has contributed to strawberry growing and please make your voice heard during voting, which starts 16 June and closes 7 July.
The commodity levy supports this advocacy... biosecurity, food safety, best practice guidance, and research
A final thought: thank you to the Board who are volunteers and contribute so much to the direction of our sector. Board members are growers; they understand the industry and work damn hard to improve it for us all.
Make sure you vote.
Contact Strawberry Growers NZ at: info@strawbsnz.co.nz
PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD DURING VOTING
VOTING STARTS: 16 JUNE CLOSES: 7 JULY
