Photo: Nathan McKinnon / RNZWattie's growers and staff are reeling following the company's announcement of the proposed closure of three factories in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Methven farmer Hamish Marr supplied Wattie's with peas for around 20 years, and said the news was devastating for staff and growers alike. Associate energy minister Shane Jones pointed the finger at electricity gentailers - the major companies that both generate and wholesale electricity. "Look no further than the non-competitive structure, the non-competitive level of cost imposed on our manufacturing sector by the electricity sector. That's why the electricity sector either has to be regulated or cut in half."
