Australia: Potato growers angry to be included in AusVeg Vic without consultation

The growers say the move is a grab for their levy money and won’t benefit their industry.

The Weekly Times can reveal Vegetable Growers ­Association of Victoria is now part of national peak vegetable body AusVeg.

A memorandum of understanding was signed last month and details will be finalised in coming months.

Rebranded AusVeg Vic, the new group will be housed at AusVeg’s headquarters in Melbourne, and will receive additional funding from AusVeg.

Victorian Farmers Federation Potato Council chair Frank Rovers said potato growers were not in the VGA, but had been included in AusVeg Vic without consultation.

VGA president David Wallace will stay on as AusVeg Vic president and the membership of 100 growers will transfer from one body to another, with membership fees staying the same.

Mr Wallace said the new body was a boon for members, providing greater resources, streamlined delivery of projects and more value for money for members than was possible with the VGA.

“It hasn’t been a light decision, but we can’t stay in the past, we need to keep moving and improving,” Mr Wallace said. He said the merger was made following “extensive” consultation with VGA’s grower members.

Shady Creek seed potato grower Peter Abel predicted “no one” would like the move to include potato growers in the new body.

“There’s been no consultation and now AusVeg has taken over — all they’re doing is chasing levy payers’ money and the farmers won’t get anything out of it,” Mr Abel said.

Portland seed potato grower Peter Lyons called for an investigation into the “dictating operations” at AusVeg.

“They just self-elect themselves to run whatever they like — they’re out of control,” Mr Lyons said.

“If they become the voice of the potato industry, I won’t get any say in that — I’ve never had any say in them being elected as our peak body.”

AusVeg Vic state manager designate Kurt Hermann said the structure of the organisation would not change.