New Zealand kiwifruit marketer Zespri has hit back against Turners & Growers (T&G) ahead of next week’s Auckland High Court hearing between the two companies, calling T&G’s campaign a waste of money.
Zespri has said the initial hearing, due to start next Tuesday, is part of a wider campaign by T&G to break up New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry despite widespread support for the Zespri model by growers and government.
“A survey by Colmar Brunton said that more than 90 per cent of growers support Zespri and the industry’s marketing arrangements, and there has been equally strong support for the growers’ view from across parliament, including from Prime Minister John Key, Agriculture Minister David Carter, Trade Minister Tim Groser and Opposition Leader Phil Goff,” said Zespri’s director of corporate and grower services Carol Ward.
Ms Ward said the litigation was a wasteful use of growers’ money, and Zespri had made efforts to ensure the suit did not distract the marketer from its current operations, which this year include the commercialisation of three new kiwifruit varieties.
