No answers yet on how to revive pipfruit industry

January 18th, 2012

Local fruitgrower groups are finding that getting agreement among beleaguered orchardists on how to pull the pipfruit industry out of the mire is proving more difficult.

The re-formed Motueka Fruitgrowers Association has already met twice since November, while its smaller Mahana-based counterpart, Growlink Tasman, has been working on several initiatives aimed at giving growers more clout in their dealings with exporters, the Nelson Mail reports.

The move to reactivate the groups followed widespread disillusionment among growers at the parlous state of the industry, which has been beset by poor returns and a lack of unity. This culminated in exporters blocking a bid by growers to take a more regulated approach to selling fruit in the newly opened Australian market by adopting a Horticultural Export Authority model.

With most local growers having endured three consecutive years of losses, there have been calls for major reforms to the way fruit is sold, particularly in the important European market. Suggestions have ranged from the formation of a Nelson grower collective to market fruit in Europe, where disorderly marketing has been a problem, to the need for industry standards to bring rogue exporters into line.

Simon Easton, chairman of the Motueka group, which is supported by 90 per cent of local orchardists, said it was still sorting out constitutional issues so it could access leftover funds.

Read the full Nelson Mail report here »

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