Trade body Horticulture New Zealand has welcomed an announcement from the minister of agriculture putting to rest any suggestion that the single-desk marketing model used by the kiwifruit industry is under threat.

HortNZ president Andrew Fenton said: “The minister’s sensible and firm comments put to rest a good deal of speculation, which serves no useful purpose in these economically fragile times.”

The statement comes after New Zealand kiwifruit producer Turners & Growers (T&G) appealed to the government earlier this week to deregulate New Zealand’s industry, in a move against the single-desk marketing model that allows Zespri to control exports.

T&G chairman Tony Gibbs insists the company will not be backing down, despite opposition from Zespri and the representative body for growers, reports the NZ Herald.

Zespri controls the export of all New Zealand kiwifruit, other than to Australia, and said deregulation was not on the agenda and that growers have backed the exporter.

But Gibbs said: “We are not going away and we are going to win,” adding that many growers supported their cause.

Zespri International took over the control of exports in 1999 following the restructuring of the kiwifruit industry.

Any speculation about a change in the structure of the industry or the marketing of New Zealand’s most successful horticultural export can raise negative concerns in export markets, said HortNZ.

“HortNZ totally supports the Zespri single desk structure,” said Fenton. “We know the vast majority of New Zealand kiwifruit growers support the system and we meet many growers from other countries who are in awe and very envious of what New Zealand has achieved through Zespri.”

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