Affected New Zealand growers claim that the release of 20,000 apple and 400 stone fruit plants from containment vindicates the position they have taken since the start of the issue.
They also hope MPI will repair the relationship with the facility in the US that has been a long-time supplier of new varieties to New Zealand. MPI withdrew accreditation from the facility and it in turn said it was no longer interested in exporting to NZ.
Andy McGrath, an industry member and owner of McGrath Nurseries, says the release of plant material is the first step towards rectifying the unlawful actions imposed by MPI.
A group of orchardist and growers successfully took MPI to court over the containment action and MPI was forced to reconsider how it applied legislation.
Source: ruralnewsgroup.co.nz