A consultation period has begun on plans to increase the levy on potatoes.
In 2010, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) received potato industry backing to bring in a series of three “little and often” levy increases to go towards helping growers meet the challenges ahead.
The final levy increase is due to be implemented shortly but a consultation period has begun from now until 17 January to allow the AHDB to canvas opinion on this and further levy rises through to 2015.
At the end of January the AHDB will then report the feedback to ministers.
The expected three per cent increase for 2012/13 would result in area levy being set at £42.62 per hectare for producers who grow three hectares or more.
For purchasers buying over 1,000 tonnes the levy would be 18.58p per tonne.
AHDB chief executive Tom Taylor said: “Our strategies are all about helping to make our levy payers’ businesses more competitive and sustainable and being as efficient as we can be ourselves in how undertake this work.
“I believe that better co-operation, partnerships and co-ordination between providers of on-farm science into practice will be a critical factor if we are to get the majority of poorer performing farmer/grower businesses to a level where they can profitably meet the significant challenges that lie ahead.
“In addition, it is important that the solutions we find for our industries to become more ‘sustainable’ must also improve business margins and productivity.”
Prior to 2010, the British potato levy rate remained unchanged for eight years.
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