Turners & Growers isn’t giving up in its fight with kiwifruit marketer Zespri, confirming it will lodge an appeal over a High Court decision last week.

Turners was seeking to have its anti-monopoly case against Zespri heard in the High Court next year, but a judge decided industry regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand has exclusive jurisdiction on the matter.

Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated President Peter Ombler says he’s relieved by the decision.

"It’s a big relief for us to be successful as an industry – growers have made it abundantly clear over a long period of time that they like the current setup.

"We just want to get on and do what we do well, which is growing and exporting kiwifruit – we just want to get on with life.”

Mr Ombler says the Turners appeal is unlikely to succeed as the ruling was a thorough one.

Zespri says it would be ‘highly desirable’ if Turners chose not to appeal.

T&G Chairman Tony Gibbs has called this ‘wishful thinking.’