The 2026 Kiwifruit Innovation Award has been awarded to Dr Mike Currie in recognition of his work developing orchard management tools and the development and commercialisation of new kiwifruit varieties.
One of Dr Currie’s most significant contributions has been helping develop and promote girdling as an orchard management tool to improve fruit size and dry matter. Originally introduced to support organic growers, the practice was quickly adopted more broadly across the industry and has become an important part of the Taste Zespri programme.
Dr Currie is currently the Head of Clonal Evaluation (Stage 2) at the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre, a joint venture between Zespri and the Bioeconomy Science Institute, and has played a key role in the development and advancement of new kiwifruit cultivars including Hort16A (Zespri Gold), Gold3 (Zespri SunGold), Red 19 and Red80 (Zespri RubyRed).
Kiwifruit industry regulator Kiwifruit New Zealand (KNZ) Chair and award judge Samantha Sharif says Dr Mike Currie’s work has helped improve orchard productivity, fruit quality and cultivar development, delivering lasting value for growers in New Zealand and across Zespri’s international growing regions.
“His research has fundamentally shaped modern kiwifruit production systems and contributed to the global success and reputation of New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry.
“Mike is widely respected for his ability to communicate highly technical information and commitment to finding practical solutions that deliver value for growers and the wider industry. His work spans research, grower extension and mentoring, and cultivar development – and the impact of that work will continue to be felt across the industry for many years to come.”
The Kiwifruit Innovation Award was established in 2015 by former Chairman of Kiwifruit New Zealand, Sir Brian Elwood, and recognises people who have demonstrated exceptional innovation through initiatives that have made a real difference to the kiwifruit industry by solving a problem or creating lasting value.
In 2025 the award was won by Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor Brett Wotton for his initiative – the introduction of covers for picking bags to support lifting fruit quality across the industry. Previous recipients have been recognised for a range of significant contributions, including Zespri’s Kanako Inomata for the creation of the popular brand mascots the KiwiBrothers, Dr Annette Richardson for her work on improving budbreak, Dr Steve Green for transforming approaches to water and nutrient management, Cathy McKenna for pest management work that has helped preserve market access and Russell Lowe for his breeding work, including the first commercialised red kiwifruit cultivar.
