AU: Bayer CropScience first commercial member Horticulture Australia

Bayer CropScience has become the first commercial member of Horticulture Australia. Membership had been restricted to industry bodies whose members paid mandatory or voluntary levies on produce. Bayer CropScience head of new business development Richard Dickmann would not say how much it had paid to become a C class member, but said it would have a vote.

Under the HAL constitution, a C class member is allocated one vote for an industry contribution of $1000 to $200,000. Mr Dickmann said the company had approached HAL based on a desire to help the industry, not to further its own interests.

"If ever there was a vote or discussion that was directly related to our developments we would excuse ourselves," he said. "If Australian horticulture is successful, then we believe we'll also be successful in the long run.

"And with one vote, we're not going to have any influence on how projects are funded."

HAL has 43 A and B class members, covering more than 70 fruit, vegetable, herb, flower and nut crops. Each has two or more votes, depending on the value of levies paid by its producers.

Source: weeklytimesnow.com.au