GET REAL - IMPROVING GROWER INCOMES NOT IDELOGOLY

Comments by both United Fruit and Fruitgrowers Federation today about so-called "ideology" totally miss the point.

They need to get real, Minister of Food & Fibre John Luxton said tonight. "Today I was in the Waikatio and yet again passed an orchard that had been pulled out because it was uneconomic.

Two days ago I was in Timaru and growers were pulling out trees. Last week an orchardist was sold up in the Hawke's Bay. "According to MAF monitoring, for a range of reasons, 3 out of the last 4 years the average Hawke's Bay 10 hectare apple grower has had a cash loss.

Growers are under increasing financial pressure. "Last year the Apple & Pear Board received around $34 per tray in revenue. But growers only received around $10.

"While these organisations are playing politics with growers money, insisting on the status quo, those who they purport to represent continue to come under increasing financial strain. They miss the point - it doesn't matter who the Government is - grower incomes must improve. "Get real. Growers have had enough of this PR rubbish.

They want solutions. "It is about time those who are shouting the loudest stop being ideological themselves and started looking at real solutions to growers incomes.

"I would welcome their constructive imput in how to enhance growers incomes over time, instead of this continual carping and misplaced criticism", Mr Luxton concluded.