Independent Kiwifruit Growers are waiting for answers from Zespri about the $500,000 fine the corporate received in Korea.

The IKGA says it obtained its own translation of the Korean Free Trade Commission's full public statement on its investigation into Zespri's 'unfair business practices”, because of a lack of information from Zespri to growers on the issue.

'At a time when growers are being bankrupted by PSA and the industry is literally on its knees, we are dismayed to learn that Zespri's 'unfair business practices” in the vitally important $109 million Korean market will cost growers about half a million dollars,” says grower Ted Meade.

The Korean ruling stops the world's largest kiwifruit exporter from 'depriving domestic consumers of their right to choose cheaper alternatives from Chile.”

It finds Zespri limited its competitors' ability to trade fairly in the Korean market in an attempt to maintain and even strengthen its existing market dominance.

The ruling also stops unfair business practices that obstructed the intended benefits of the free trade agreement between South Korea and Chile.

Zespri hasn't yet seen the full Korean decison, says a spokesman today.

"It hasn't been released to us yet so once we see that we will go through it and make decisions based on that.

"There's going to be no criminal charges laid. It's a competition authority issue. If we don't appeal that will be the end of it, if we do appeal then the appeal will be heard."

The Korean fine and another recent international issue involving the arrest of Zespri's agent in Shanghai for alleged evasion of import tariffs, raise a number of questions about the way Zespri operates as a state-sanctioned monopoly, says Ted.

'Compounding these issues for growers is the lack of transparency and accountability being demonstrated by Zespri in communicating with growers on these issues.

'We have written to Zespri's Board of Directors to urgently seek answers to these questions.”

His next step depends on the answers to the questionnaire he's sent to Zespri, says Ted.

'Basically they have got to get back to me if there are any criminal charges laid on them up there as a result of this,” says Ted.

'All I want is truth and transparency from Zespri. They have got worse and worse.

'This industry in on its knees and we have got a board which is very tight will not let out information. It's owned by growers, and it should be growers' business what's happening to our fruit. We have no control over it after it leaves the packhouse.

'We are paying their salaries. They are our employees, and basically they treat us like pretty bad dirt. I'm just pretty peeved off with the attitude. If somebody attacks them they single them out.

'If it wasn't for the vines in the ground, and the men and women behind the vines in the ground, there would be no industry, no Zespri.”

Zespri is taking kiwifruit overseas by the shipload and dumping it on markets without seeing what's going on in the local consumer market says Ted.

Every other primary exporter in New Zealand is looking at value added products, but not Zespri.

'You see people like nectar kiwifruit juices, kiwifruit NZ at Te Puna value adding and this could have been done years ago,” says Ted.

'They have got Aragorn there and it's been running at a loss, and Zespri still haven't got rid of it. People have tried to take that over and make something of it and they don't want to be in it.”

Zespri is happy to meet with Ted and talk through his concerns, says a spokesman.

"It's unfortunate he wrote to us and everyone else at the same time but we are happy to sit down and meet with him and go through his concerns again."