Vegfed plan to pick up peas opposed

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 23

Vegfed plan to pick up peas opposed

The agriculture section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers feels that the arable industry could become fragmented if pea growers come under the wing of the Vegetable Growers’ Federation. The Vegetable Federation has been asked by some pea growers to represent their industry and has subsequently written to all pea growers to seek their views. Although not traditionally regarded as such, field dried peas are a vegetable crop; they are included in government statistics as a vegetable and are listed in the Vegetables Levy Act, 1957, says the Vegetable Federation. The field pea industry earned $23 million last year in exports. Peas are grown on about 25,000 ha, producing 70,000 tonnes. A number of pea growers had discussed th present structure of th dried pea industry with the Vegetable Federation and several areas had been identified where growers could benefit from co-ordinated and cohesive representation, says the federation. “In particular, providing pea growers with information about world markets, support of pea

research, and involvement in the grading and price-setting systems have been identified as some of the things which could directly benefit pea growers.” It appeared that pea growers had not been drawn together as a group since the late 1960 s and early 1970 s when there were bacterial disease problems in peas. Nor had dried pea growers’ interests been specificially represented. The Vegetables Levy Act provides for a levy of 0.375 per cent of the price

paid to the grower to be deducted and paid to the Vegetable Federation. On present prices, this represented about $1 per tonne. Althought the law stated that growers should already be paying the levy, the Vegetable Federation says the levy was not being collected because the federation was doing nothing specificially for pea growers. But in a letter to pea growers, the Vegetable Federation said it had been encouraged by some growers to collect the levy this harvest season and to

become actively involved in the pea growing sector. “However with the harvest now well underway we do not intend to collect a levy this season.” The Vegetable Federation emphasised that it does not intend to “wave the Levy Act under anyone’s nose and demand our legal right to a levy” on peas — unless there was significant support from growers. Agriculture delegates commented that it was better for the whole arable industry to work together rather than be-

come fragmented. They expressed confidence in the ability of the agriculture section to look after the interests of pea growers. At the agriculture section’s April meeting, delegates said they wanted to be represented at any pea growers’ meetings called by the vegetable federation to discuss the issue. The vegetable federation will be asked to keep federated farmers informed of proposed meetings of growers in Canterbury north of the Rakaia River.