CITRUS growers will be asked to vote on a proposal to wind up the Riverina Citrus Committee.
More than 400 committee members have until next week to ensure they are registered for the poll, to be conducted by the NSW Electoral Commission.
The postal ballot was ordered after a meeting in November where members voted 130 to 49 on a motion to dissolve the statutory authority, which collects more than $1 million in compulsory levies each year.
Riverina Citrus chairman Frank Battistel said it was not surprising, given the level of anger and misinformation among the region's growers in recent months.
"Growers, especially citrus growers, have been going through a terribly hard time over the past year or so, and the industry bodies are usually the first scapegoats when things are not so good," he said. "Last year there wouldn't have been too many people that actually made a profit out of growing oranges."
He said Riverina Citrus had tried to help with promoting the region at an Asian trade fair. But that backfired - prompting claims of conflict of interest - when it was revealed that two board members also sported logos for their private companies on their Riverina Citrus shirts.
Mr Battistel said that incident had been used as an excuse to generate attention and angst.
"There's a few agendas happening here at the moment," he said. "I'm most concerned that the majority of growers are struggling to make money, and they're the ones who have fallen in behind the motion to wind it up."
Mr Battistel said the committee was doing its best to let growers know just how their $4.50/tonne levy had been spent.
The latest newsletter includes some of the committee's achievements in fruit fly projects, grower services, marketing, government liaison and submissions.
Mr Battistel said the poll would probably be close.
Growers have until February 9 to ensure they are registered to vote, with ballot papers to be posted on February 13. Voting, which is not compulsory, closes at noon on March 8.
