2009 World Potato Congress Award Winners
The Awards recognize outstanding personal contribution and leadership in respect to the development and progress of the global potato industry.
The following recipients received their Awards at the 7th World Potato Congress which was held in Christchurch, New Zealand from the 22th to the 25th of March, 2009. The presentations took place during the Official Congress Closing Dinner.
Written nominations were submitted for consideration by the Awards Committee which was Chaired by Mr. Doug Harley, from Scotland. Other members of the Awards Committee are Ms Kimberly Warren, Managing Editor of Spudland Magazine, USA; Dr. Ben Pieterse, WPC International Advisor, South Africa, and Mr. Terry Olsen, Chair of the 7th World Potato Congress Management Committee, New Zealand.
The 2009 winners are; Mr Ron Gall, New Zealand; Mr Gregg Halverson, the USA; Mr. Hardev Sing Sangha, India; and Mr Joop N Stet, the Netherlands.
Here is a short version of the citations for each of the award recipients.
Ron Gall – New Zealand
Ron Gall has used his knowledge and experience to create a proactive and effective organisation lead by growers and working for the best interests of the potato industry in New Zealand. 
He is totally committed to the industry in which he works and a very strong advocate for the industry and growers.
Ron has encouraged the NZ potato industry to become more involved in international issues, which lead to his being appointed to the WPC International Advisory Committee and culminated in the World Potato Congress being held in Christchurch NZ in 2009.
Other initiatives where Ron has played a leadership role include:
The NZ Potato industry R&D programme including collaboration with Australia; establishment of the Vegetable Research and Innovation Board; and development of the NZ GAP (Good Agriculture Practice) scheme that provides third party assurances to buyers (now widely used across the NZ horticulture industry).
Gregg Halverson - USA
Gregg Halverson is President and CEO of Black Gold, headquartered in Grand Forks, ND, a company that he founded and built.
The multi-state potato growing company has grown to over 15,000 acres of potatoes, with ten individual farms in ten states.
Black Gold is known internationally for its adoption of advanced tec hnology in the area of chip potato production and handling. Under Gregg’s leadership, Black Gold has received Global and National Supplier Innovation awards from Frito-Lay and Cavendish Farms in recognition for supplier innovation and leadership.
In 2002, Black Gold instituted a systematic approach to potato production in the Peoples Republic of China, where they introduced the country’s first successful bulk handling and transport system of chip potatoes.
Gregg has been involved in leadership positions on the Research Committee of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association as well as the Environmental Affairs Committee of the National Potato Council. He is presently Secretary/Treasurer of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association.
Under Gregg’s leadership, Black Gold is honored to be a recipient of the 2009 National Potato Growers “Environmental Stewardship” Award.
Hardev Singh Sangha
Hardev Singh Sangha was among the first, in India, (1960’s) to adopt the CPRI protocols for seed multiplication and start commercial seed production. “Seed Plot Technique.” His greatest achievement was establishing Punjab grown potato seed in most of India’s potato growing states which was earlier supplied by Himachal Pradesh. Gradually, he expanded his operations and established the “Lease-land Farming Model” in the Punjab.
In the 1970’s, Hardev Singh Sangha became known as the “Potato King” among the potato community and in the media. He has been the largest producer of seed potatoes in Asia for more than 40 years. Now producing over 60,000 tons of high quality seed potatoes annually under a Limited Generation Seed Program on an area of 6000 acres, preserving it in self-owned Refrigerated Storage and supplying it to various states in India. The seed program is supported by a Tissue Culture Facility & a Plant Pathology Laboratory for disease testing including ELISA testing for 6 viruses.
Joop N. (Johannes Nicolaas) Stet
J.N. Stet has been one of the most remarkable figures in the Eur opean potato business. As son of a Dutch potato and vegetable grower, he succeeded in creating a new trade company, one of the few individual private breeding companies which created some very successful new potato varieties such as Timate, Donald, Columbus, Bellini and Exquisa.
After his active career in business J.N. Stet assumed responsibility by taking the lead in European business associations via the presidency of Europatat, the European Union of the Potato Trade and CELCAA, the European Liaison Committee for the Agricultural and Agri-Food Trade.
J.N. Stet has been recognized for his career in the potato sector by the Dutch Queen Beatrix with the title of “knight in the order of Orange Nassau” in 1998.
The Chairman of the Awards Committee, Doug Harley, has advised that it was not an easy task for the Committee to select the four winners from the number of nominations received. "The dedication and enthusiasm of potato industry participants, spanning a great many years, is quite outstanding," said Mr Harley.
Sincere congratulations to all 2009 recipients!
FORMER WORLD POTATO CONGRESS AWARD RECIPIENTS
1993 - Canada
David Loggie, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Walter Kroaker, Manitoba, Canada
Prof. John Neiderhouser, Arizona, USA
Dr. Date van der Zaag, Wageningen, The Netherlands
1994 - Englandﾠ
Harrison McCain, New Brunswick, Canada
Dr. Gunther Graf, Germany
Dr. Jack Dennett, Caithness, Scotland
Mr. Andreas Savvides, Nicosia, Cyprus
1997 - South Africa
John Richard (JR) Simplot, Idaho, USA
Dr. Hubert Zandstra, International Potato Center, Lima, Peru
Heinz Wenger, Germany
Robin Pooley, England
2000 - The Netherlands
Jan Frans Binst- Belgium
Kees van Loon, The Netherlands
Robert Mercer, USA
Dr. John Hillman, Dundee, Scotland
Luis Matutano, Spain
2004 - China
Ray Owen, England
Antonie M (Tony) van Leersum, The Netherlands
Walter Karl Heinz (Buebi) Krohn, Germany
Dr. Prof. Song Bofu, Beijing, People's Republic of China
2006 - USA
Jim Godfrey, UK
David Montgomery, Australia
Dr. Dongyu Qu, China
Ronald D. Offutt, USA
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