Dr. Mike Currie receives 2026 Kiwifruit Innovation Award

Dr. Mike Currie has been honored with the 2026 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his contributions to orchard management and the commercialization of new kiwifruit varieties. Currently serving as the Head of Clonal Evaluation at the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre—a joint venture between Zespri and the Bioeconomy Science Institute—Currie has been instrumental in developing cultivars such as Zespri Gold, Zespri SunGold, and Zespri RubyRed.

One of his primary achievements includes the promotion of girdling as a management tool to enhance fruit size and dry matter. While initially used for organic growers, the practice has since been widely adopted and integrated into the Taste Zespri programme. Samantha Sharif, chair of Kiwifruit New Zealand, noted that Currie’s research has fundamentally shaped modern production systems and improved productivity and quality for growers in New Zealand and international regions.