Among the noise and lights of China’s 60th anniversary celebrations a set of 100 Friendship Awards were given out by the Chinese government to foreigners judged to have made a positive contribution to the country’s people and economy.
One of this year’s recipients was New Zealand horticulturalist Lew Dagger of Shennong Variety Management and Fresh Yunnan, a joint venture established to commercialise the Yunnan red pear.
“My award was made for my contribution to the horticultural industry here in China,” Mr Dagger told Fruitnet.com. “Specifically in the area of production and market management, new variety introduction and education.
“We were met by Premier Wen Jiabao, who discussed with us the role of foreigners in the development of the Chinese economy, and the value that the Chinese government puts on these relationships.”
Fresh Yunnan is a 50:50 joint venture formed between local organisation the Red Pear Development Company and New Zealand-based exporter Fresh New Zealand.
The company is aimed at marketing the Yunnan red pear, which was discovered growing in the wild in the province’s mountain villages more than 20 years ago.
New Zealand company HortResearch (now Plant & Food Research) played an integral part in commercialising the variety, which is now grown on over 10,000ha in Yunnan.
Mr Dagger also works with Shennong Variety Management, which works with intellectual property (IP) and new variety introduction and management.
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