Suggestions by some potato, horticulture and flower producers that their industries need a compulsory levy to replace the AHDB levy have drawn criticism from a group of prominent campaigners.
Lincolnshire potato and vegetable grower John Bratley, one of the so-called “petitioners” who led the campaign for the abolition of the AHDB levy, said that in two decisive votes, two-thirds of growers had rejected the idea of a statutory levy.
“However, over the last three weeks we have seen comments which appear to be trying to re-write this result and replace one statutory levy with another,” he added.
He was speaking after the Growers’ Better Levy Group (GBLG), which represents 36 horticultural businesses, issued a statement which said the continuation of a small statutory levy was necessary to fund critical work.
The GBLG is now calling on the UK Government to support its proposals for a grower-managed research agency to replace AHDB, following a meeting with UK Farming Minister Victoria Prentis.
The NFU’s horticulture board chair, Ali Capper is also reported as saying the vast majority of growers see the need for some form of small or mandatory levy.
Mr Bratley said: “The ballot was on the continuation of a compulsory levy, not the structure of the AHDB. Almost 61% of horticulture growers and more than 66% of potato growers rejected a compulsory levy.”
Peter Thorold, another of the Lincolnshire petitioners, criticised the GBLG for claiming to represent the industry.
“The GBLG represents just three per cent of those businesses which were eligible to vote on the continuation of a statutory levy,” he said.
“They may well wish to jointly establish and fund their own non-statutory body for their own research and development. However, they must not be allowed to have their research needs subsidised by an industry wide statutory levy which growers have overwhelmingly rejected.
“In funding their own R&D they will be able to claim substantial tax relief which is not available under a statutory scheme …. that in itself makes a bureaucratic statutory scheme a bad deal.”
The decision on the future of the statutory levy will ultimately be decided by farm ministers in Scotland, England and Wales.