Thank you to everyone who has joined us at the grower meetings held so far in Pukekohe, Waikato, and Te Puke to discuss KVH’s proposed biosecurity levy increase. We’ve appreciated the thoughtful questions, feedback and discussion shared to date.

The proposal is for a 0.2c increase to the biosecurity levy, taking it from 0.8c to 1c per tray from the 2027/28 financial year. The Pathway Management Plan levy will remain unchanged at 0.6c per tray.

Biosecurity risk continues to grow and at the same time, the cost of maintaining readiness and responding effectively has increased. The industry’s obligations under the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity (GIA) have been clearly demonstrated with five biosecurity responses in the last two years.

Levy rates, however, have remained steady for several seasons and with recent response costs, that means the real level of protection through sufficient reserves is slowly eroding.

To learn more, some of the resources we have available include a podcast with KVH Chief Executive Leanne Stewart and a one page fact sheet.

There are plenty of opportunities to provide feedback and have your questions answered at further upcoming regional meetings – you can see the full schedule here. We encourage all growers to attend a session, hear directly from KVH, and join the conversation about what this proposal means for ongoing biosecurity protection of our industry.

Your feedback is an important part of the consultation process. We encourage you to review the proposal information, ask questions, and share your views that will directly shape what is put forward for voting at the AGM.