The Seeka Growers Council met today and as part of their agenda considered the current proposals to incentivise and compensate growers for removing their G9 canopy.
For your information the resolutions of the council were as follows:
Point 1.
Seeka Growers endorses the initiative to de-commercialise the G9 variety as soon as possible.
Point 2.
Growers who grafted G9 took the commercial decision to graft to this variety and now take the same commercial decision to remove it and when
Point 3.
Zespri, the Corporate as the other commercial party in the relationship, is the beneficiary of all new varieties and has the responsibility to compensate for their removal in the event of de-commercialisation.
Point 4.
Using wider pool money to compensate in this way sets a dangerous precedent.
Point 5.
The view of the Council is that the current offer of a G3 “GOFO” License plus $10k per hectare is enough to encourage those growers who will, to remove their G9 canopy. [considering the current value of a G3 license]
Point 6.
And it is correct that G9 quality costs should reside with G9 in 2015, but each of G3 and 16a likewise should have their quality costs likewise sheeted back to their growers.
This view will be presented at the IAC meeting on Friday.
Kind regards
Michael Franks
Seeka Key
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