A draft new constitution was put to the Ausveg board - principally representatives of state-based lobby groups - which would have allowed individual growers to become members of Ausveg and stand for board positions.
The proposed new constitution failed to secure the required 75pc of the vote in favour of the change, going down by just one vote.
But members will be called upon to vote again in a minimum of 90 days time.
"We are prepared to make amendments to the proposed constitution to ensure an effective outcome is achieved for our existing members, and look forward to the implementation of a new constitution to represent a united vegetable industry,"Ausveg vice chairman Jeff McSpedden said.