Meat & Wool New Zealand Develops Levy Proposal
NEW ZEALAND - After extensive consultation with New Zealand sheep, beef and goat farmers, Meat & Wool New Zealand has developed a levy proposal that outlines the work that will be carried out on farmers' behalf, how it will be funded, and some measures for rating the organisation’s performance over the next five years.All sheep, beef and goat farmers now have the opportunity to vote in a referendum seeking support to pay sheepmeat, beef, goatmeat and wool levies to fund the work of Meat & Wool New Zealand.
Farmers will receive the proposal document, levy information document and their voting papers in the week beginning 3 August and the voting period runs until 2.00pm on 28 August.
This proposal document completes a process which began in March 2009 and is moving through the following stages:
- Consultation: late April-early July
- Proposal preparation: early-mid July
- Proposal received by farmers: early August
- Voting period: 31 July-28 August
- Referendum result: first week of September
A successful referendum outcome will see Meat & Wool New Zealand seek new levy orders from the Minister of Agriculture. These enable levies to be collected when the current levy orders run out on 10 April 2010 and for the work of Meat & Wool New Zealand, as outlined in the levy proposal, to continue.
TheCattleSite News Desk