New Zealand apple growers and exporters are calling for compensation following a block in Russian trade earlier this year, according to Fairfax Media reports.
The claims have arisen after New Zealand Prim Minister John Key announced the country’s meat industry may be reimbursed for a recent disruption of trade into China.
Key said New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries had issued unauthorised documentation to the meat industry, leading to a blanket ban on beef and sheep meat into the Chinese market.
The apple industry was hit by a similar problem in March when its fruit was temporarily denied access to Russia due to documentation problems.
Exporters were forced to pay additional storage costs of up to NZ$4300 a container while their fruit was stranded in Russian ports.
When the ban was lifted, a flood of apples entering at the market at the same time suppressed prices.
Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said growers and exporters were well within their rights to seek compensation.
“If they compensate meat companies they need to also consider the impact on apple growers, and exporters who suffered quite significant costs,” Pollard told Fairfax.
The Ministry for Primary Industries initially denied apple exports had been blocked to Russia, before revealing 40 containers were delayed in entering the market.
Pollard was disappointed the ministry had not acknowledged the issue immediately and suggested closer to 100 containers had been affected.
“The comments would make growers think the issues they were facing were not important, but it was a big issue for our guys,” he said.
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