One of the founding members of The Kiwifruit Claim committee has resigned and joined the post-harvest operators in opposition to the legal action the committee plans to take against the Government.

Allan Dawson, who is managing director of the post-harvest company Aongatete, resigned from the committee last week according to a statement this afternoon from EastPack CEO Tony Hawken.

Allan could not be reached for comment this afternoon.

Tony says Allan has now added his signature to a letter from post-harvest operators to Prime Minister John Key, stating the companies do not support the action taken by The Kiwifruit Claim group against the Government for compensation over the outbreak of the bacterial disease Psa.

Rob Craig, Managing Director of Punchbowl has also signed the letter.

This now means that companies representing approximately 80 per cent of the kiwifruit postharvest industry's volume do not support the claim, says Tony.

'This also confirms that all New Zealand kiwifruit post-harvest companies, except for one, do not support the claim,” he says.

That single company is Seeka, which has publically stated its support of the claim.

Bay of Plenty growers will have the chance to learn first-hand the intentions of The Kiwifruit Claim and how they can be involved at a meeting at 4pm at the Te Puke Sports Club today.