The group behind a litigation claim against the New Zealand Government is now accusing single-desk kiwifruit marketer Zespri of “scaremongering.”
John Cameron, chairman of The Kiwifruit Claim, suggests that senior Zespri officials have launched an intimidation campaign against growers who have shown support for the class action.
“The last three weeks have seen an extraordinary scaremongering campaign by one or two Zespri directors and some within New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers' Incorporated (NZKGI) against those growers and post-harvest operators known to be considering being part of this claim,” Cameron said in a statement.
A Zespri spokesperson told Asiafruit that the intimidation claims were “nonsense.”
The Kiwifruit Claim has extended the deadline for growers to join the legal proceedings, which accuse the Government-funded Biosecurity NZ of negligence for allowing the Psa vine-killing disease to enter New Zealand.
The extension means a statement of claim will not be filed with the New Zealand’s High Court in Wellington this week, as The Kiwifruit Claim had initially hoped. Cameron said the claim is now likely to be filed in November.
“It would be a real shame if some growers and post-harvest operators decided not to take advantage of being part of this claim because of inaccurate information, so the plaintiffs' committee has decided to extend the planned deadline of this week for growers to sign up,” Cameron explained.
Cameron said 15 per cent of the country’s gold kiwifruit growers have signed-up to the claim. Only 7 per cent of the country’s green kiwifruit growers have followed suit, according to the group.
