What is the vegetable levy?

The grower-raised statutory vegetable R&D levy is set at 0.485 per cent of the sale value.

This levy is collected by the Australian Government and then entrusted to Hort Innovation. It is then Hort Innovation’s responsibility to work with industry to invest the levy together with Australian Government funds into strategic R&D initiatives.

You can find full details on the levy rate, plus information on how to lodge a return and make a payment with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, on the government website here.

Where do investment ideas come from?

Great investments start with great ideas, so Hort Innovation encourages all growers, industry participants and the research community to share their thoughts and recommendations through the upcoming Strategic Investment  Plan (SIP) consultation process. During the year, issues may emerge that haven’t been captured from the extensive SIP development process so there will still be opportunities to submit ideas for investments.

These opportunities are:

• Growers are invited to submit their ideas any time at Hort Innovation’s investment idea form or by contacting a Hort Innovation employee directly. 
  
  
• Industry participants and delivery partners can contact a Hort Innovation employee directly if they have an idea outside of the SIP consultation process. 

Any submission or suggestion will be reviewed by Hort Innovation to ensure it aligns with industry needs as identified in the SIP. 

How are levy investment decisions made?

Investments specific to the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund are guided by the industry’s Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) and Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

The SIP is being updated in 2021 to better reflect the needs of the vegetable industry. The new SIP will have a five-year life span (2022–2026) and is currently being developed through close consultation with growers, industry participants, and the research community.

The AIP was developed with valuable input from the Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP), which is made up of growers and other industry representatives as well as industry bodies and other key stakeholders.

The SIP and AIP documents are used as a ‘roadmap’ by the vegetable SIAP and play a key role in prioritising investments and ideas submitted by growers and other industry participants.

Further details about the AIP, SIP and SIAP can be found below.

Strategic Investment Plan

The vegetable Strategic Investment Plan is the roadmap that helps guide Hort Innovation’s oversight and management of individual levy industry investment programs. The SIP lays the foundation for decision making in levy investments and represents the balanced interest of the particular industry from which the levy is collected. The most important function of the SIP is to make sure that levy investment decisions align with industry priorities.

Refreshing of the current Strategic Investment Plan

The current vegetable Strategic Investment Plan spans from 2017 to 2021 and has guided investment decisions over that period.

In 2021, Hort Innovation is continuing to engage with growers and industry stakeholders to develop a refreshed SIP for each industry within the horticulture sector. Following this engagement period, the draft SIPs will be made available for broad industry feedback and validation.

Each industry-specific SIP will lay the foundation for decision making in levy investments, representing a balanced view of stakeholders from within the industry, helping Hort Innovation prioritise and implement relevant R&D and marketing programs.

When the vegetable SIP has been finalised it will be available on the Hort Innovation website.

Annual Investment Plan

The vegetable Annual Investment Plan details how levy-funds will be spent over a 12-month period. Investment decisions will be guided by the industry SIP and prioritised based on potential industry impact, as well as availability of levy funds.  

The AIP was developed by Hort Innovation, informed by the SIP and industry consultation, and then discussed with the industry SIAP for feedback and prioritisation.  

Strategic Investment Advisory Panel

To gain industry insights for strategic levy investments in R&D, Hort Innovation consults with growers through industry-specific Strategic Investment Advisory Panel.

The SIAP consists of industry supply-chain stakeholders, most of whom are levy-paying growers. Panels also include industry representative body representation and, where applicable, a lead agency representative from within the National Horticulture Research Network.

The industry-specific SIAP is in place to discuss investment ideas, in order to provide advice to Hort Innovation on potential levy investments. The advice they give is guided by the industry's SIP.

The SIAP provides a vital link between meeting the priorities of industry and helping Hort Innovation to make decisions on how, where and when investments need to be made.

What happens next?

The SIAPs recommendations will be used by Hort Innovation to work suitable ideas into project proposals. The proposals are then made public for potential delivery partners to submit responses. Current opportunities are always listed on the Partnership opportunities, in the delivery partners section of this website.

At the end of the process, the responses are assessed, often with the assistance of industry (Evaluation Panel process), and the best delivery partner for the work is chosen. A contract is then issued, and the work begins.

How can I keep track of investments?

Investments in the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund are detailed in the Your investments page of this Vegetable Fund section of Hort Innovation’s website. Resources that are produced by the projects – such as fact sheets and guides – are also available through the Research reports and more page.

Hort Innovation also sends alerts about project updates to its members. Paying a levy doesn’t automatically make you a Hort Innovation member, but signing up is free here.

The levy-funded communications program, run through the investment National vegetable industry communications program (VG18000), also provides regular information on levy-funded activity.

Financial documents