ZESPRI chairman Lain Jager is ducking controversy around a resolution at its upcoming AGM.
At the meeting in Tauranga on August 18th, shareholders will be asked to cast a single yes or no vote on a resolution to continue investing in new varieties development, as well as buying overseas kiwifruit for the next three years.
The unlikely combination has drawn criticism from grower groups saying the kiwifruit marketer is trying to sneak bad policy through with good, but Mr Jager says it’s too late to change things.
"Obviously when you're talking about an annual general meeting then it has rules. The resolutions are already out there, so it's more saying what can we do better for the growers."
Independent Kiwifruit Growers Association chairman Marcus Wilkins says ZESPRI will have plenty to answer in a fortnight.
“I think at the AGM there will certainly be some debate about it. I’d suggest that the two things be considered separately, and hear the debates and arguments – that’s what an AGM’s about.
"We need to hear the information from Zespri around our 12 month strategy, which has been a bit thin on the ground up till now.
"We need information around whether fruit is going to be sourced from southern hemisphere supplies, that’s of particular concern – then we’ll see which way the votes fall.”
