Levy groups
WILL IT BE HEADS OR TAILS ON THE TOSS FOR FUTURE LEVIES? With no decisions made by government following the AHDB ballot, what might be next for horticulture levies?
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Words: Hayley Campbell-Gibbons he AHDB Horticulture ballot result of February 2021 was clear, with 61% of growers voting to discontinue the levy. Yet, when viewed by sector, or amount of levy paid, the picture was less clear cut. Voting by crop or value wasn’t what the AHDB ballot was about, but it has become the focus of industry discussions about whether there could, or should, be a horticulture levy mechanism of some form for the industry in future.
THE CONSULTATION
Defra launched its consultation in November 2021 asking for views on proposed changes to the statutory levy, which would reform AHDB and respond to the outcome of the horticulture and potato sector ballots. Key questions for growers and their representative bodies include: 14
‘Should the AHDB Order be amended to remove the statutory levy in the horticulture sector in Great Britain?’ and ‘Do you want the AHDB’s application service for emergency authorisations (EA) and extension of authorisation for minor use of pesticides (EAMU) for the horticulture sector in Great Britain to continue?’. The consultation closed on 10 January 2022 and responses are currently being reviewed. Defra is likely to encounter a broad spectrum of views, with growers from every sector coming out on both sides of the levy fence.
DIVIDED OPINIONS NFU view
The NFU accepts the ending of the current levy but wants to see a retained mechanism so that individual crop sectors within the broad and diverse category of ‘horticulture’ can resurrect a mandate and create a levy in the future.
Responding to the Defra proposals, NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board chair Ali Capper comments: “The NFU has always maintained that Defra should respect the results of the ballot for both the AHDB horticulture and potatoes levies and many growers will feel relieved that there is finally some clarity emerging. “It is critical that those sectors that wish to continue to work together and jointly fund research programmes have an appropriate legal mechanism in place and are supported in doing so as soon as possible.” She adds: “There are also unanswered questions over how different horticulture sectors could engage with each other on shared objectives, such as innovation and development of new technologies, if they want to do so and we will be asking Defra for clarity on this.”
The British Protected Ornamentals Association (BPOA)
The BPOA has lost confidence in AHDB, it says, due to funding non-relevant projects, poor value for money and lack
Spring 2022
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