McBride’s contribution spanning more than 40 years was hailed at the HortNZ’s awards dinner as outstanding and meritorious.
Similar to the famous rugby Bledisloe Cup, horticulture’s version is one of three cups Lord Bledisloe presented to NZ in 1931.
“The Bledisloe Cup celebrates a person who has made an outstanding and meritorious contribution to the NZ horticulture industry and Peter McBride certainly epitomises that,” HortNZ president Julian Raine said.
McBride was first exposed to the kiwifruit industry in 1978 through his family’s orchard in Te Puke, in Bay of Plenty.
He went on to buy his first kiwifruit orchard in 1989 and today he has responsibility for several large farming companies and heads one of NZ’s key horticulture companies as Zespri chairman.
Raine said McBride fought hard for horticulture and is a key interface between growers, industry and the Government.
“He is focused on innovation and also represents Zespri International as a director on the NZ International Business Forum and as a member of the NZ-China Council.”
Alongside his work for the kiwifruit industry McBride has an equally long history of service to charitable organisations.
He was a director of Longview Charitable Trust Board (Dairy) in Waikato and was also a director of Centrefarm Aboriginal Horticulture.
Other awards presented included the inaugural Environmental Award.
It went to James Trevelyan from Te Puke.
On considering the nominees for the award Raine said the HortNZ Board was heartened by the vast amount of environmental work under way and the focus growers have on sustainability.
Raine said Trevelyan proudly and publicly supports the environment while providing tasty, healthy, nutritious fruit to the world.
In 2017 his family-owned company produced a report, Our Journey toward a Sustainable Future, that states sustainability is a journey that requires ongoing development, innovation, collaboration and commitment.
“James really walks the talk and you can see him talking passionately about caring for the environment in the HortNZ video Healthy Food for All Forever.”
Grower and orchardist Tim Egan was the winner of the President’s Award.
Egan is heavily involved in the promotion of horticulture in Gisborne.
Described as having a huge passion for anything to do with growing, his work spans not only his orchards but also with people and recruiting people into horticulture.
He is chairman of the Gisborne Labour Government Group and Tipu Advisory Board.
Industry Service Awards were presented to Garry Elliott and Graham Martin.
Elliott has been involved in bringing new chemistry to the horticulture industry since his career began in 1964.
He is one of the pioneers of the early years of herbicide applications on onions, changing the approach for NZ onion growers.
Martin is a stalwart of Canterbury horticulture.
He organised the first Young Vegetable Grower of the Year competition in 2007 and has continued to do so for most of the years since.
In 2014 he was presented with life membership of Horticulture Canterbury.
Earnscy Weaver was presented with life membership of HortNZ.
