Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Kiwifruit organisation still pushing for help over Psa

Updated at 2:04 pm on 21 February 2012

NZ Kiwifruit Growers president Neil Trebilco says it has been doing so since the Government rejected its application for the Psa outbreak to be declared an adverse event in September.

An adverse event usually applies to rural areas affected by flooding or drought, and among other things provides tax breaks for those affected.

The organiser of an independent grower meeting in Te Puke last week renewed the call for Psa to be declared an adverse event.

Rob Thode says the 150 growers who attended supported his view that more action and less talk was needed by industry organisations and the government.

Neil Trebilco says most growers are still receiving payments from Zespri for last year's crop and he hopes to have a financial package in place for when those stop.

Mr Trebilco says he's also in discussions with banks to ask them not to foreclose on the growers, who he says will have viable orchards again in a few years.

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