Over 240 growers, industry leaders, and guests gathered in Gisborne last month for the inaugural Citrus New Zealand Awards dinner, which recognised contributions across the sector.
© Citrus New Zealand
Award recipients
James Torrie received the Emerging Leader Award for his leadership potential, while 73 Citrus was presented with the Innovation Award for its approach to citrus production. Phil Evans was acknowledged with the Excellence in Orchard Sustainability and Practice Award. John MacPherson was recognised for his decades of service, receiving the Industry Champion title and becoming only the fourth person to be awarded Life Membership.
73 Citrus general manager James Crow said the Innovation Award, given for the company's vitamin C fortified sparkling citrus drink range, highlighted opportunities within the citrus sector. "For many of us, we're completely engrossed in our day-to-day business, keeping the lights on, supporting our communities, so we don't have a lot of marketing budget. We don't have a lot of time and maybe the skill to focus on getting our product out there further than word of mouth," Crow said. "Having this support from the awards allows us to do things like have a press release sent out to media that we maybe wouldn't be able to contact and make conversations about what's going on in an industry like citrus. There's innovation still in what you can grow on trees."
Industry overview
Citrus New Zealand executive manager Jo Pentreath said that with an estimated 27,600 tonnes of citrus produced annually by more than 300 growers, it was important to recognise the "dedication, skills and knowledge of our growers." Guests at the awards included National MP Dana Kirkpatrick, Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz, and Horticulture New Zealand Chair Bernardine Guilleux.
The event followed a full-day orchard workshop on 2D trellising, spatial motion, and spray optimisation, as well as the organisation's annual general meeting, which confirmed the appointments of Hugh Ritchie as independent chairperson and Murray Kendrew as grower director.
Citrus New Zealand interim chair Tam Jex-Blake said the awards evening was about acknowledging those driving the sector. "It was inspiring to see growers, industry partners, and supporters come together in Gisborne to applaud the incredible achievements of our industry peers," he said.
Crow added that while broader food and beverage award ceremonies can be difficult for judges to evaluate across sectors, focusing within horticulture offered greater clarity. "Sometimes it's a good idea, like they've done here, to zero in a little bit more on what's happening within a corner of the industry, like horticulture or manufacturing," he said.
Source: HortNews
