Grower calls for compensation

About 150 kiwifruit growers gathered in Te Puke this morning to voice annoyance about the industry response to the Psa crisis.
Grower Rob Thoed called the meeting.

He is calling for an inquiry into the breach in biosecurity which allowed Psa-V into the country, and wants compensation for what he thinks should be declared an ‘adverse event’.

The Te Puke grower meeting.

“There should be some compensation because the government is responsible for biosecurity,” says Rob.
“Biosecurity is outside of growers’ control – growers haven’t done this to themselves.

“We’ve been living 15 months with a major disaster, but it hasn’t been declared as an adverse event,” says Rob.
“It’s very important the government declares it so there is some support that can be given.”

Rob has lost five hectares of Gold 16A kiwifruit; his 10ha of Green is showing more resistance to Psa-V, but he is expecting the crop will be down 20 per cent this season.
“I’m fortunate I still have got Green.

“It’s been devastating watching my orchard die and the people working on my orchard, I feel responsible for.”

Growers need to be consulted and involved more in the recovery says Rob.
“There is the frustration that a lot of things are behind closed doors. Growers haven’t been getting a say.”

Rob says the work Kiwifruit Vine Health is doing to draft an impact analysis report is “excellent”, but the contents of the package hasn’t been discussed with growers.

Another topic discussed in the meeting was how Zespri had been performing and if the marketing structure is working.
Rob says there is concern after Zespri was fined in Korea, that trays of Class 1 fruit were dumped, and about the incredibly low payout for Green growers.

Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated chief executive Mike Chapman says Zespri has done well under difficult circumstances.
“Part of the all allegations were that Zespri hadn’t performed well in the Chinese and Korean markets.

“In the Korean market, the rough figures are they’ve increased sales by 20 per cent from last year, and China by 35 per cent.”

Mike says there are concerns about what the season payout will be because fruit was sold a bit longer than normal this season.
The season payout is due next week along with the crop estimate for this season.
The growers at the meeting were told the industry is working with the government on tracing and MAF processes around biosecurity says Mike.

“He (Rob) was calling for a commission of inquiry. But the general consensus of the meeting was that what’s happening with MAF needs to play through and see what the results are and then we can make some decisions.

“But it’s far too premature to talk about a commission of enquiry.”

Mike says what they took out of the meeting was that the got an endorsement from the majority of growers.
“You’re always going to have a few people who are unhappy.

“But to take home, we need to keep engaging with growers. Anyone is welcome to have a meeting and talk about things.
“It’s such tough times; and everything does take a little bit of time.

“We will work harder to communicate so that people feel they have the opportunity to link in.”

Mike says growers are consistently in touch with the organisation, the older growers writing letters by hand, middle-aged growers send emails and younger ones sending texts.