Member exodus on cards for NFF Horticulture Council

The Weekly Times understands three members are weighing up whether they quit the council by the end of the year.

The peak body for Australia’s horticulture industry is at risk of losing three members by Christmas.

On Friday vegetable, potato and onion grower group AUSVEG quit the NFF Horticulture Council, citing a need to devote resources to advocating directly in the interests of the growers it represents.

“Our board reached the decision during the routine annual assessment of our numerous industry affiliations and memberships, and the ongoing consideration of our strategic direction and policies,” AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote said.

The Weekly Times understands two other farming associations could be considering pulling their membership of the council before Christmas.

The NFF Horticulture Council was formed seven years ago at the encouragement of then NFF president Fiona Simson and chief executive Tony Mahar to help the traditionally fragmented horticulture sector form a united front.

It had 20 members before AUSVEG pulled out last week, including state farming organisations and industry grower groups.

The latest defection comes six months after the Victorian Farmers Federation relinquished its membership of all peak farming industry groups – including the NFF Horticulture Council – in an attempt to remain financially viable.

Annual membership of the council costs $10,000.

NFF Horticulture Council chair Jolyon Burnett says advocacy traditionally workers best with a united voice.

NFF Horticulture Council chair Jolyon Burnett said he was unaware any other members were considering terminating their membership.

“History has shown advocacy works best with a single, united voice,” Mr Burnett said, while acknowledging he respected the wishes of the AUSVEG board.

Farm advocacy in Australia is in a state of crisis, with state, commodity and even the National Farmers’ Federation struggling to adequately resource their activities as membership dwindles.

Last year the NFF commissioned the Australian Farm Institute to investigate the efficacy and evolution of agricultural advocacy.

The report said a reduction in the number of organisations in the advocacy landscape “would be welcome by many stakeholders”.

That message hasn’t been heeded by a new lobby group called Farming Communities Australia that threw its weight behind the campaign to save live sheep exports.

The fledgling lobby group has been searching nationally for a chief executive since June, but a candidate has yet to be named.