Fruit and vegetable growers vote this month on a poll to determine the future of the organisation that represents their interests.

Voting papers for the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) levy referendum have been posted to all 6000 commercial fruit and vegetable growers seeking grower support for continued levy funding for the next six years.

'HortNZ will cease to exist without this funding, when the current levy order expires in June 2013,” says HortNZ president Andrew Fenton.

The referendum is seeking approval for a grower levy of 15 cents for every $100 of sales on all fruit and vegetables, which is the same as the maximum levy rate in the current order.

This rate is forecast to raise about $2.5million a year for HortNZ work on industry wide issues, like biosecurity policy, land and water use issues and seasonal labour needs.

"Our biggest single success has been our ability to unify growers' voices.

"The industry faces enormous challenges now and in the next few years. So it's critical to have a unified voice if we are going to overcome these challenges and grow the industry value."

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and president of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc Neil Trebilco is encouraging all growers to vote in the referendum.

'NZKGI works closely with HortNZ on issues which affect kiwifruit growers and HortNZ performs an important function in representing the industry on many levels including making submissions to the recent hearing on Transpower's plans for buffer zones around its transmission lines in the Western bay of Plenty.”

Having an organisation which represents the collective interests of all growers will become increasingly important as pressures come on the users of resources such as water, says Neil.

Asking kiwifruit growers to pay more in levies at a time when their income is under pressure is not easy but Neil says increasing the levy from 11 cent to 15 cents per $100 earned will bring fruit growers into line with what vegetable growers pay.

Previously fruitgrower levies were topped up by the Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust but that trust's major asset, a building in central Wellington, requires earthquake strengthening, at a significant cost, meaning funds are no longer available for the levy.

Clevedon specialty tomato grower Anthony Tringham says all growers must vote because those who don't will be counted as `no' votes.

'The biggest worry is that too many people won't bother to vote. I think there is general support for the levy and HortNZ and our industry would be far poorer without it. We need HortNZ to be out advocate on a range of issues from labour to other resources.”

"We have received very positive feedback from the more than 100 meetings with growers held to discuss the proposal since March," Andrews says.

"Now is the time for growers to have their say. Their voices will not be heard if we do not have HortNZ."

Voting closes on September 28 at 5pm.