The votes have been counted, and growers have decided to wind down Australian peak industry body Riverina Citrus, the group announced today.
The poll taken by the Australian Electoral Commission was the result of months of calls from a vocal group of growers from the major citrus producing region to close Riverina Citrus.
Voting on the motion to disband the industry body, growers tallied 170 for and 102 against.
“The poll results are a very bad outcome, not for Committee members, but for our staff and every one of our growers and their families,” Riverina Citrus chairman Frank Battistel said in a statement.
“Today is the day when citrus growers in the Riverina have lost their strong local representation and their local voice. It’s hard to know what happens from here and what this means for the long-term profitability and viability of every single grower.”
Battistel said Riverina Citrus accepted the independent umpire’s ruling, and thanked the organisation’s staff and supporters for their work.
Citrus growers in the Riverina region is currently dealing with flooding, which is hampering the half-complete Valencia orange harvest and causing concern tree health for the upcoming Navel season.
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