Kiwifruit marketer Zespri’s deputy chairman Peter McBride has been cleared of allegations he was connected to illegal grafting of a new kiwifruit variety by his brother.
Murray McBride was found to have illegally grafted the new G3, or Gold3, variety, which is subject to licence restrictions. Some growers within the New Zealand industry had alleged Peter McBride had been involved in the grafting, and had provided ‘inside information’ to his brother.
A report from former judge and mediator Sir Peter Trapski released late yesterday, however, has cleared Peter McBride of the accusations, and found he had tried to discourage his brother from the unlicensed grafting.
The report also found the alleged inside information, regarding the resistance of kiwifruit varieties under trial to the Psa disease, was publicly available.
“This completely vindicates Peter McBride and confirms for me that there has been no misuse of confidential information,” Zespri chairman John Loughlin told local media.
“I’m pleased we went through this process to put to bed any doubt on the issue for those who were concerned about it.”
Murray McBride will reportedly be subject to the “strongest penalties” available, which include having to buy an NZ$8,000 per ha licence, and a choice between paying a NZ$50,000 per ha fine or cutting the new canes to two buds above the graft.
