Chile's National Agricultural Society (SNA) president Luis Mayol has taken a shot at both Australia and New Zealand over their  hostility towards competition, newspaper La Segunda reported.

Mayol told the newspaper he would call on authorities to intervene if hostility from Australian grape growers continued, while also describing New Zealand's monopolistic practices in the global kiwifruit market as 'mafioso'.

SNA president Luis Mayol

"It is unhealthy if these things occur with countries that have trade agreements like FTAs - we are in APEC, we give speeches and advice at the international level about openness and free trade," he was quoted as saying.

"This country (New Zealand), which has unified all its kiwifruit exports under just one company, managed to shut us out of the three most important supermarket and retail lines in Korea with an agreement to include Chilean kiwifruit no more; pressures that combined with our irresponsibility of sending fruit that was not in good condition at the start of the season."

He said New Zealand's actions "in international fruit markets were, to say the least, illegal or almost mafioso".

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Zespri takes hold of Korean kiwifruit market: Chile takes notice

Photo: www.radioagricultura.cl

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com