The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has announced that is has secured the support of major industry stakeholders to increase the levy across all four sectors it supports.

This comes ahead of the application to Ministers in Defra and the Devolved Administrations for approval. The levy will be increased across pork, beef and lamb in England, dairy in Great Britain and cereals and oilseeds in the UK.

Will Jackson, divisional director for engagement said: “We have recommended to Ministers to approve levy increases in the four sectors we serve. We are delighted to be doing this with the support of so many industry stakeholders who recognise the value that AHDB demonstrates through the levy and want us to do more.

“The levy rate has not increased for over 20 years in some sectors and our spending power has greatly deteriorated over that time due to inflation and the loss of our VAT status. If a levy increase is approved, AHDB can continue to deliver the valuable things that levy payers have told us are important to them and increase our activities where levy payers have asked us to do more in order to meet their expectations.”

Since October this year, AHDB have been sharing plans to increase the levy through its Funding your Future campaign. Discussions with industry and levy payers have taken place widely and culminated in a livestream event where levy payers could ask their questions about the levy increase.

Approved levy rates

Cereals and Oilseeds (levy rate last set in 2011)

Cereal grower – 46.00p/tonne to 58p/t    

Cereal buyer – 3.80p/t to 4.80p/t 

Cereal processor (human/industrial) – 9.50p/t to 12p/t  

Cereal processor (feed) – 4.60p/t to 5.80p/t 

Oilseeds – 75p/t to 94p/t

Dairy (set more than 20 years ago)

Dairy farmer – 0.06p/litre to 0.08p/litre

Pork (levy rate last set in 1996)

Pig producer – £0.85 to £1.02    

Pig processor – £0.20 to £0.24

Beef and Lamb (levy rate last set in 2011)

Cattle (excluding Calves)

Producer – £4.05 to £5.06/head of cattle

Slaughterer/exporter – £1.35 to £1.69/head of cattle

Calves

Producer – £0.08 to £0.10/head of cattle

Slaughterer/exporter – £0.08 to £0.10/head of cattle

Lamb

Producer – £0.60 to £0.75/head of sheep  

Slaughterer/exporter – £0.20 to £0.25/head of sheep

The proposals, which were published by the Sector Councils in October, have now been put to Government Ministers and Devolved Administrations for them to make a decision, expected in the first quarter of 2024.