Nominations open for 2015 Fresh Carriers Hayward Medal
The kiwifruit Industry Advisory Council (IAC) set up the Hayward Medal four years ago to honour the people who have led the industry and established it as a New Zealand export success story, selling more than $1.57 billion of premium-quality Zespri Kiwifruit last year.
IAC chairman Paul Jones says nominations are encouraged for people right across the industry who’ve shown excellence, commitment and leadership.
Takao Takeshige, President of award-sponsor Fresh Carriers says when the shipping company started carrying New Zealand kiwifruit to Japan about 30 years ago, not many people could have expected the industry to be as successful as it is today.
Over the past three years, the Medal has been awarded to people who made outstanding contributions to the kiwifruit industry in very different ways, through science, leadership and personal vision and drive.
Last year, growers Paul Heywood and Leo Mangos were jointly awarded the Fresh Carriers Hayward Medal for their work in establishing the grower-owned structure of the industry. The ex-chair of the New Zealand Kiwifruit Marketing Board, John Palmer was awarded the Medal in 2013 for his tireless efforts to bring the kiwifruit industry through the fiscal crisis in the early 1990s. The inaugural award went to Plant & Food Research plant breeder, Russell Lowe for developing and helping commercialise the gold kiwifruit variety Hort16A, adding over $3 billion to the industry and New Zealand.
Nominations close in three weeks on Friday 18 September and nominations for the pan-industry award are encouraged from right across the industry. The winner will be announced and presented with the award at the Hayward Medal Dinner which follows the Kiwifruit Industry Symposium on Thursday 29 October.
For more information:
Rachel Lynch
Zespri
Tel: +64 027 509 1805
Email: rachel.lynch@zespri.com