Compensation unclear following swede mix-up
Hundreds of farmers who were inadvertently sold the wrong swede are no closer to compensation, but the company responsible is on the ground assessing the situation.
PGG Wrightson Seeds alerted farmers in February who bought the new seed variety, Hawkestone yellow-fleshed Cleancrop swede, that a different line of whitefleshed swede, HT-S57, had been distributed to customers instead.
HT-S57 swede was phased out in 2016 and replaced with the Hawkestone swede variety.
However, the HT-S57 seed was distributed to farmers for planting for winter feed instead of the new Hawkestone swede variety. The company said that the mistake was caused by human error. Most of the 556 farms receiving the seed substitution are in Southland and Otago, with a few in Canterbury and the central North Island.
PGG Wrightson Seeds general manager New Zealand David Green said since the mix-up was discovered they had been spending most of their time talking to affected farmers. Only about 150 of the affected farmers had contacted the company, and in some situations PGG Wrightson Seeds staff have visited those farmers.
A response team has been formed to deal with the mix-up.
Green said the farmers were all in different situations when it came to how the mix-up would affect their wintering. However, many farmers had been seeking compensation for the company’s mistake, he said.
‘‘We are not in a position at this stage to comment any further. We’re very conscious it’s an issue we have to respond to at some stage.’’
In response to farmer concern, Clutha-southland MP Hamish Walker, supported by industry groups, has organised a swede mix-up public meeting. The meeting will be held at the James Cumming Wing in Gore on April 6 from 11.30am.