Fruit growers furious with MPI over destroyed seedlings

A leading Hawke's Bay orchardist says a decision by a US company to stop selling fruit trees to New Zealand could cost the industry billions of dollars. Last month the Ministry of Primary Industries ordered the containment or destruction of more than 48,000 seedlings and cuttings supplied by the company Clean Plant Center Northwest, saying they were a biosecurity risk. Yesterday the company said it will stop selling to New Zealand. Paul Paynter runs the Johnny Appleseed company in Hastings. He talks to Susie Ferguson.