Frozen out

摘要

In an independent survey commissioned by New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc, some 90% of producers said they supported the current marketing structure for exports. This compared with 84% in 2007 when the industry association last conducted a survey on the subject. Given that the New Zealand Government has gone on record as stating that it would only consider deregulating the fruit's export marketing regime if there was 'groundswell support from the industry', it seems T&G's bid for reform is dead. However T&G has launched a legal challenge against both Zespri - the marketing organisation for kiwifruit - and the legislation which created it back in 1999. The hearing is scheduled to take place in November and could last up to five weeks. It will determine whether New Zealand's kiwifruit regulations are lawful and whether Zespri has acted inappropriately to preserve its single channel position.