fbpx
Print this page
Monday, 05 August 2019 09:56

Thorpe bags Bledisloe Cup

Written by 
Bill Thorpe and wife Margaret with the Bledisloe Cup. Bill Thorpe and wife Margaret with the Bledisloe Cup.

The Bledisloe Cup for 2019 has been won by Gisborne horticulture leader, Bill Thorpe.

The cup celebrates a person who has made an outstanding contribution to horticulture in New Zealand.

Thorpe was presented with his award at the Our Food Future Horticulture Conference dinner at Mystery Creek on August 1.

He has been associated with horticulture for 50 years. He was involved in some of this country’s first commercial kiwifruit plantings in 1969. By 1975, he had developed Gisborne’s first, seamless kiwifruit packhouse and export facility.

A Hort NZ statement says Thorpe has made a profound contribution to persimmon industry over the past 40 years. 

In 1988, he became a founding member of the New Zealand Persimmon Industry Council, of which he remains an active member. In 1997, he started exporting persimmons and was highly instrumental in the push into markets like China and the US.

Thorpe is described by his colleagues as ‘commercially mature and unfailingly courteous’ and ‘an absolute gentleman and statesman of the industry’. He is also known to be ‘relentless in representing the growers of the Gisborne region’.

In receiving his award, Thorpe said that it had been particularly satisfying to have spent most of his working life involved in such a dynamic and forward-looking industry.

‘To receive this award tonight is a real honour. In the twilight of my career I am particularly honoured to join the impressive list of people who have their names engraved on this magnificent trophy.’

The Bledisloe Cup for horticulture was first presented in 1931 by the then Governor General Lord Bledisloe, for a competition between orchardists for the best exhibit of New Zealand apples at the Imperial Fruit Show.

It is one of several cups Lord Bledisloe presented to New Zealand and is similar to rugby’s Bledisloe Cup, which was also donated in 1931.

More like this

Horticulture exports hit $8.4B, surge toward $10B by 2029

A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.

Featured

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…