Zespri Group Ltd., the exporter of Kiwifruit has exclaimed that the lawsuit filed against it is shear wastage of money invested by the cultivators.

Zespri's Director of Corporate Services, Carol Ward, said that as many as 16 of the exporting Companies in Australia have been considering the marketing of the fruit including Zespri.

“The legal challenge was `a wasteful use of grower money. Instead of concentrating on wasteful and pointless litigation, it is better for Turners/GPG to work constructively with Zespri”, she said.

Zespri’s subsidies, in collaboration with GPG subsidiary Turners and Growers Ltd., filed a lawsuit against Zespri, citing the de-regulation of the exports undertaken by the Company.

Auckland High Court will be holding a session in order to determine the authority of the regulators in monitoring the exports of the Kiwifruit overseas.

As per the current set of regulations pertaining to the exports, the Companies are supposed to follow a set of collaborative marketing procedures.

Turners & Growers has alleged that Zespri has been considering illegitimate strategies, while exporting the kiwifruit and its marketing policy has been monopolized.

Zespri has also been accused of violating the provisions in the Kiwifruit Export Regulations 1999.