The Agricultural Produce Commission Act 1988 provides Western Australian agricultural producers with the legal framework to collect funds to provide for the development of their industry sector.
Industries can form producers’ committees, and once a committee is formed a compulsory 'fee for service' is imposed.
Ten producers' committees are currently active in industries such as pork production, bee keeping and a range of horticultural industres. Each committee’s home page provides details.
The fee for service is generally collected at the first point of sale. Some producers' committees currently have the fee for service set at zero, meaning no fee for service is being collected from producers.
Fee for service collected is then used for any of a number of services which can be provided under the Act and as requested or identified by the growers paying the fee for service. Examples of services which can be provided are: marketing, promotion and research.
The APC offices are located at the Department of Agriculture and Food head office at 3 Baron-Hay Court in South Perth.