Join Tomatoes New Zealand Incorporated Now!

1 September 2015

During the TomatoesNZ AGM in July, the incorporated society application paperwork was completed; the Rules and Constitution approved, and the first Chair and Board were appointed.

The incorporation certificate has now been received and we are inviting all commercial fresh tomato growers to join the newly formed Tomatoes New Zealand Incorporated.

If you are a commercial fresh tomato grower, you can complete the membership application online here

Transferal of your membership from TomatoesNZ to Tomatoes New Zealand Inc. will not be automatic, so please submit your application as soon as you can.

It is expected that TomatoesNZ Inc. will take over all the business of TomatoesNZ from 1 April 2016.

Fresh Tomato levies will continue to be collected by Horticulture NZ as they are now, until the current levy order expires in 2019 and TomatoesNZ Incorporated seeks its own levy order. 
 

 Incorporation of Tomatoes New Zealand

18 June 2015

The formation of Tomatoes New Zealand Incorporated is underway. At the 2014 AGM it was resolved to undertake this process so that Tomatoes New Zealand could become a signatory to the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response.

As part of this process, at the 2015 AGM TomatoesNZ members will be asked to:

1. Approve the rules of the new society. These can be downloaded below. The rules of the society are intended to largely continue present practices by TomatoesNZ with some updates for clarity and to meet obligations under the Incorporated Societies Act 1908.
   
   EXCEPT the new rules allow for voting on the imposition of a special charge or levy to fund compliance with TNZ’s cost-sharing obligations under the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response. Voting on any such charge or levy would occur at an AGM of Tomatoes New Zealand Inc.
   
   
2. Confirm the appointment of the first Chair and Directors of the new society. It is intended that these will be the current Board members and Chair of TomatoesNZ.
   
   
3. Join the new society by completing a membership form. Fifteen (15) grower-members are required to start the society. Current TomatoesNZ members will not automatically become members of the incorporated society but will all be asked to join.

A date, likely to be 1 April 2016 (the beginning of the next financial year), will be set for the new incorporated society to take over all the present business activities of TomatoesNZ,

The fresh tomato commodity levy, under the Commodity Levies (Vegetables and Fruit) Order 2013, will remain in force, unchanged, with growers and collection agents continuing to pay the levy to the TomatoesNZ product group of Horticulture NZ. Once the new society is underway (probably from 1 April 2016), Tomatoes New Zealand Incorporated will invoice Horticulture NZ for the fresh tomatoes portion of the levy until the current levy order expires in 2019 and a new levy order is sought for TomatoesNZ Inc.

The current TomatoesNZ product group is a subsidiary of Horticulture New Zealand. The new Incorporated Society will be a separate entity affiliated to Horticulture New Zealand.

If you have any questions or want to discuss the above, please get in touch with me on Helen.Barnes@hortnz.co.nz Ph. 04 470 5666.