North Queensland banana industry body supports national levy

 

 

 

Banana growers are being encouraged to vote in the national banana levy ballot, with ballot papers being posted to all commercial growers last week and due back to the ballot administrator by June 4.

 

North Queensland grower Dennis Rigato said all industries need to have a national levy to run their various commitments and requirements for research, promotion and plant health.

 

Mr Rigato runs Rigato Farms at Mareeba and is president of the Mareeba Banana Growers’ Association.

 

“I think the association would support the national levy, but it is ultimately up to the individual growers to make their own decision,” he said.

 

Mr Rigato encouraged all growers to exercise their right to vote and have their say about the future of their industry.

 

“The successful horticultural industries, such as mangoes and avocados have levies. They almost all have levies except bananas.”

He believed the 1.7cents/kilogram levy proposal was a reasonable model because it would mean everyone would pay the levy according to the kilogram rate.

 

The Australian Banana Growers’ Council has proposed the national banana levy to benefit all growers, regardless of their location, production methods or the varieties they grow. Under the proposal, 1.16c/kg would be directed to promotion and 0.54c/kg would be directed towards research and development.

 

Mr Rigato said the levy will enable the industry to develop new structures and funding streams to boost research requirements and ensure bananas maintain their position as Australia’s number one fruit.

 

He said the Tableland growers were recovering slowly from Cyclone Larry, and it appeared that many had listened to industry advice to spread the fruit production over the 12 months following the cyclone, rather that letting it all come back in at once and cause a glut.

 

“We have not seen the low, low prices which occurred after Cyclone Winifred, which means we don’t have to dig ourselves out of a big hole as would have been the case if prices had fallen below the cost of production.”

 

 

For more information, call Dennis Rigato 07 4093 3555 or 07 4066 9251 or visit www.abgc.org.au

 

 

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