Horticulture Industry Awards
Each year, HortNZ makes several awards in recognition of outstanding contributions to commercial fruit and vegetable growing in New Zealand.
Horticulture Industry Award categories.
Horticulture Bledisloe Cup - awarded for an outstanding and meritorious contribution to the New Zealand horticulture industry.
President's Trophy - to celebrate and develop inspiring leadership within the horticulture industry.
Industry Service Award - to recognise people with long and dedicated service to a supplier or service role (not a grower) that have worked beyond the call of duty for the betterment of the horticulture industry.
Environmental Award - to recognise a person, or organisation, that has developed and implemented a sustainable environmental project, with identifiable benefits.
HortNZ Life Member - to recognise growers with long and dedicated service as office holders of HortNZ and/or an affiliated Product Group or affiliated Grower Association.
Any grower member of HortNZ, an affiliated Product Group or an affiliated Grower association can make nominations.
Click here to view the awards criteria.
Below is a summary of awards made in 2024.
Horticulture Bledisloe Cup
The horticulture Bledisloe Cup is awarded annually in recognition of an outstanding contribution to commercial growing in New Zealand over decades.
2024 winner - Dr Stuart Davis
Photo (L-R): Bernadine Guilleux, HortNZ Board Vice-chair, Dr Stuart Davis, Barry O'Neil, HortNZ Board Chair
Dr Stuart Davis, sustainability manager for LeaderBrand, has played a significant role in the vegetable sector for more than 35 years.
Stuart has been a strong champion for introducing science and innovation into vegetable production. He has been particularly skilled at linking innovation to concrete practical outcomes for enhancing sustainable vegetable production.
During the 1990s, he championed the commercial application of mathematical crop prediction models for sweetcorn and other vegetable production, working in collaboration with Crop & Food Research.
This was leading edge thinking, building an important part of the foundation for the partnership that has been forged between the New Zealand vegetable industry and science.
Stuart’s leadership roles have also included previously chairing the Vegetable Research & Innovation (VR&I) Board, which co-ordinates research investment by a number of vegetable product groups.
He was instrumental in initiating and championing research to understand relationships of vegetable farming with the environment and developing new thinking on sustainable methods of crop production.
This ultimately led to the creation of A Lighter Touch, the $27 million, seven-year, programme jointly funded by MPI as part of the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme, and the industry.
The programme is addressing the challenge of meeting consumer demands for safe food produced under sustainable pest management programmes whilst also caring for the environment. Stuart also chairs the programme’s Industry Sector Advisory Group.
In recognition of his great service, Stuart is the 2024 recipient of Horticulture New Zealand’s Bledisloe Cup. This is awarded for an outstanding and meritorious contribution to the New Zealand horticulture industry.
President's Trophy
The President's Trophy is awarded in recognition of passion for working on behalf of the horticulture industry, as well as a commitment to developing as a business leader and successful grower.
2024 winner - Kris Robb
Kris Robb began his career in horticulture in 1995 straight out of high school with a temporary job processing dried apricots in Clyde.
Photo (L-R): Bernadine Guilleux, HortNZ Board Vice-chair, Kris Robb, Barry O'Neil, HortNZ Board Chair
He was invited to stay on full time, developing an enduring passion for fruit production and orchard management and underpinned that with a commerce degree from the University of Otago.
Kris is president of the Central Otago Fruit Growers Association and serves on a number of industry committees including the Central Otago Labour Management Governance Group, the HortNZ Leadership Programme Advisory Committee and the People, Food and Fibre Emerging Leadership Micro-credential Industry Group.
Alongside Kris’s leadership roles, during COVID-19 he went above and beyond in securing New Zealand labour for the wider Central Otago region through his independent work on social media and contribution to other industry initiatives.
He has also produced over 60 videos that collectively tell the story of life on the orchard.
Through documenting the daily activities and decision-making requirements on an orchard operation, he is helping to lift the profile of horticulture in Central Otago – along with educating and entertaining the local community with the complexities of fruit production.
The videos have been valuable to newcomers, experienced staff and for those who are just interested in learning a little more about horticulture.
He is the 2024 recipient of HortNZ’s President’s Trophy, which celebrates inspiring leadership within the sector.
Industry Service Award
Industry Service Awards are presented to individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty by providing significant service to the New Zealand horticulture industry over many years.
2024 winner - John Dine
Horticultural consultant John Dine has given four decades of service to New Zealand’s growers and has been at the forefront of fruit industry transformation.
Photo (L-R): Bernadine Guilleux, HortNZ Board Vice-chair, John Dine, Barry O'Neil, HortNZ Board Chair
That has included his significant contributions to the introduction of high-density dwarf rootstocks, whole-season consultancy contracts, corporate growing consultancy, and the development of Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes.
John gained a Bachelor of Horticulture Science in 1978 and joined the former Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries as a horticultural officer, focusing on kiwifruit, apple and stonefruit crops.
In 1987, he joined Rex Graham and Associates, known as the No1 Fruit Company, as a horticulture consultant. He also became one of the first investor growers, managing extensive apple and kiwi orchards across Hawke's Bay.
In 1990, he founded Dine Horticulture services, specialising in working with smaller growers which included weekly visits with hands-on advice focusing on pruning and chemical thinning and an emphasis on preventative consultancy.
This unique service saw two of his clients win the prestigious Grower of the Year title under his guidance.
In 1996, he joined Ag New Zealand which became Fruition following a management buyout.
During his time at Fruition, John formed the Hi20 group for orchard improvement.
His involvement in benchmarking and presenting results fostered robust discussions and significant advancements in the industry with many Hi20 members participating in trials for the IFP system, developed in collaboration with Plant & Food Research and New Zealand Apples and Pears Incorporated.
He went on to operations manager and technical manager roles, and since 2020, has been a private consultant working with leading companies in the sector.
John is the 2024 recipient of HortNZ’s Industry Service Award. The award recognises people with long and dedicated service to a supplier or service role that have worked beyond the call of duty for the betterment of the horticulture industry.
