19 December 2000

National's Agriculture Spokesman Gavan Herlihy welcomes the High Court decision to reject ENZA's injunction to constrain the work of the Apple and Pear Export Permits Committee.

"With planning for the coming season thrown into chaos by ENZA's injunction, apple growers will be relieved that the Court has ruled in favour of the Permits Committee.

"If the permits are liberalised, as is requested by many growers, does it equate to 'defacto deregulation' with all the downside costs of the permits system?

"With ENZA now having corporate shareholding and its boardroom focus now on shareholder return rather than being singularly focused on grower returns, change in exporting structures is inevitable.

"The challenge for the apple industry is how to progress that change in order to maximise much needed grower returns from the 2001 apple harvest," Mr Herlihy said.

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