The Levy
Under the terms of the Agriculture and Horticulture
Development Board Order, growers are required to pay a levy if they grow
horticultural products (specified in the Order see below), sell
products grown by them, or anything derived from such products grown by
them, and have adjusted sales figures from these products or derivatives
of 60,000 or more (in any year ending March 31).
Horticultural products covered by the AHDB Order
include vegetables grown in the open (except potatoes where separate
arrangements apply), fruit, flowers and bulbs, hardy and other nursery
stock, protected crops and herbs. Mushrooms are also included, but pay
on a different basis (see below). Full details are provided in the
Order.
The rate of the levy is set annually, with the
approval of the Minister, up to a maximum of 0.6% (currently 0.5%) of
the adjusted sales for all growers except mushrooms.
Mushroom growers will be required to pay a levy if
they buy more than 700 litres of mushroom spawn in any year ending March
31. This will apply to spawn purchased either separately or
incorporated into compost. The maximum levy rates allowed are 20p per
litre for Agaricus (currently 8p) and 8p per litre for non-Agaricus
(exotic) mushrooms (currently 2p).
AHDB Order 2008
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