WINE GRAPES MARKETING BOARD Riverina WINEGRAPE GROWERS May - June 2012 GROWERS ADVISED TO MONITOR PAYMENTS CLOSELY Reports are being received by the Board that growers at The Board has been notified that the NSW Shadow some regional wineries did not receive their first Minister for Small Business is shortly to introduce a non- payment on the date they believed it was due. Such government draft Bill into parliament that aims action by any winery is disappointing as it is also specifically at providing some powers to the reported that the growers have not been informed of the Commissioner which will be welcomed. If continued delay but needed to contact the winery after noting that delays on payments occur the Commissioner may look the funds were not in their bank account. to develop an industry standard or code within the State. The Board has made contact with the Office of the Small This would be significant as the region currently has no Business Commissioner to advise them of the winery statutory provisions that set and enforce payment delay but has also been informed that the Commissioner provisions for winegrapes. currently lacks any legislative power to act against such The Office of the Smaller Business Commissioner can practices other than undertake mediation. be contacted on the following: Obviously concerned growers have the legal right to take Ph: 1300 795 534 the matter further but, as growers are aware this Email: [email protected] approach carries a certain level of risk. STATUTORY FEES FOR 2012 All growers that are constituents of the Wine Grapes To confirm that wineries have remitted these correctly Marketing Board are liable to pay the statutory fees and the Board has sought the appointment of Authorised charges of the Board each year. The amount agreed by Officers under the Agricultural Industry Services Act growers at the Budget and Strategic Planning meeting 1998. These Officers are representatives of regional held in 2011 is $3.90 per tonne of fresh weight fruit. accountancy firms and will be able to audit both At the start of this year the Board wrote to all known wineries’ and growers’ records should it be required. wineries seeking their support and assistance to deduct WHAT’S INSIDE Page these fees and charges from growers via an Agency Growers Advised to Monitor Payments Closely 1 Agreement. The process was supported by the Riverina Statutory Fees for 2012 1 Winemakers Association and the majority of wineries What Does the Board do for Growers 2 have agreed to this process on the proviso that they collect a 5% fee to undertake this (approximately $0.20 Board Activities Report 2 per tonne). State Based Campaign can also Work Locally 3 At time of writing the Board is aware that DeBortoli GWRDC - WAC Merger Proposal - consultation 7th June 3 Wines and D.S. Graham (aka Ralph Graham) have Wine Industry Future Leaders Program 2012 4 decided not to deduct these and the Board therefore Murray Darling Basin Plan concerns raised by NIC 4 has to invoice growers for statutory fees and charges. MIA Vine Improvements 2012 Cutting Season 4 All DeBortoli Wines growers should have received an Riverina Bottled Wine Exports 2001-2011 5 invoice and a report on the tonnes that they have Riverina Field Days 2012 5 delivered to DeBortoli Wines in 2012. If there are any AWRI Dog Book Changes for 2012-13 Season 6 errors in the report you are requested to contact the New Mental Health Telephone Service Announced 6 Board to discuss. Growers that delivered to D.S. Winemakers Outline position on FASD 7 Graham will shortly receive their invoices. Murrumbidgee Valley On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program 7 All invoices are payable on or before 30 June 2012. This is also the date on which wineries that signed News In Brief 8 Agency Agreements will remit funds to the Board. Important Dates for Your Diary 8 WINE GRAPES MARKETING BOARD WHAT DOES THE BOARD DO FOR GROWERS The Board and its staff are often asked “what do you do for growers”, “why should I pay the levy”. The Board has produced the following list of activities and actions that it does to assist growers on an annual basis. • Point of Contact • Irrigation conversion management (furrow to drip) • Legal Assistance • HACCP Food Safety Program • Mediation Services • Local Field Days • Contract Advice • Grape Sale Index • Information Provider • Spray Diary development • Grower Representation • Industry Fact Sheets • Disaster Assessments • Grant application assistance • Winery Liaison • Project management • Grower Meetings • Regional presentations • Industry Statistics • Communication/correspondence • Data Collection • Regional wine displays • Media Releases • General Assistance • Farm Mapping • Grower Industry Workshops • Research, Development and Extension • Local Field Trials • Laboratory Analysis of grapes • Regional Newsletter “Vine Chat” • Weather Station Reporting • Data Analysis • Viticultural Advice/Assistance • Industry Sponsorship • Grape pricing information • National/State Representation • Regional promotion • Grower liaison • Government Liaison/Representation • Disease assessments • Regulatory reporting and advice • General Advocacy BOARD ACTIVITIES REPORT The Board meets each month to discuss issues within • Reviewed the 22 Board policies and procedures and the industry and to direct staff activities. The following updated these on the Board’s website. report relates to the notable items from the past two • Completed and approved the 2011 Annual Report meetings of the Board. for distribution to the Minister and growers. • The Board is investigating the use of collective • Agreed to sponsor an award for Best made Wine bargaining for the region as recommended by the from Riverina winegrapes at the Riverina Wine NSW Government. Show 2012. • The region’s high rainfall and flooding took up a • Supported the Yenda Grape Growers Association great deal of Board member and staff time with call for an Inquiry into the flooding of the Yenda media and engaging governments to commence Village and surrounding district. disaster relief for the region. • Developed a submission to the MDBA and part • Investigation into an Ad-valorem levy system was funded a socio-economic study in the impact of the conducted for presentation to growers at the Plan on the regions producers. forthcoming Annual General Meeting. • Participated in the development of the 2012-13 • Liaison with the region’s wineries regarding the season AWRI agrochemical “Dog Book” payment of statutory fees and charges for 2012. • Sponsored a double page editorial article promoting • Continued to raise in the media the pricing fairness the regions growers and the Riverina wine region in of winegrapes across similar inland regions. the Leeton and Griffith Visitor Centre Guides. • Setup and managed the Board marquee at the 2012 • Attended the Yenda and Hanwood Association Board sponsored Riverina Field Day. Meetings. • Provided input into the Murrumbidgee Catchment • Continued to respond to many enquiries relating to Management Plan relating to Landscape values and flood relief availability. changes in the region. 2 VINE CHAT May - Jun 2012 STATE BASED CAMPAIGN CAN ALSO WORK LOCALLY “ASK FOR IT” Some of you may already be aware of a marketing costs of posters and other material. There has also program initiated by the New South Wales Wine been an extraordinary amount of voluntary input. Industry Association (NSWWIA) called “Ask For It”. In the future there will be opportunities to develop a The “Ask For It” campaign has been range of marketing activities to utilise the potential of developed as a call to action for wine the concept, and NSWWIA members consumers to help increase the sales will be given the opportunity to of NSW wine in our own market, i.e. participate in these. In the New South Wales. The campaign meantime wineries have been asked was trialled at the Sydney Cellar to be as active as possible in Door, and received an overwhelming promoting this through your own amount of support from not only the marketing activities and particularly industry, but more importantly the social media. Use the hash tag consumers and trade. #askforit in all relating tweets. The concept can be applied at a State, Regional or Why is this relevant to Riverina Growers? NSW and Individual business level and regional wineries are Sydney particularly is the biggest wine market in starting to get on board. Australia but NSW wine lacks market share - this At the Royal Easter Show the NSW wine area was program looks to address this. How can local heavily branded with the “Ask For It” material and all growers support it? Simply “Ask For It” locally. When stalls will be promoting the bookmarks and bottle tags. you are shopping for wine at the local discount liquor or major retailer “Ask For It”. If the wine that is made from Thus far all of the campaign work has been achieved your grapes is not present “Ask For It”. Eventually they with minimal financial expenditure by industry with will get the message and stock it and others can enjoy those participants in the program covering the printing NSW and Riverina Wines. GWRDC - WAC MERGER PROPOSAL - CONSULTATION A proposal to initiate a rationalisation and consolidation The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, of the industry support structure by merging the Grape Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, has approved this and Wine Research and Development Corporation initiative being taken forward for industry consultation. (GWRDC) and Wine Australia Corporation (WAC) to WFA and WGGA have made a commitment to present a create a single statutory authority has begun. formal case by 31 July 2012, incorporating an overview The proposal has been developed jointly by the of all comments received during the consultation phase. industry’s representative bodies, Winemakers’ The Government will then consider the submission and Federation of Australia (WFA) and Wine Grape Growers make a decision.