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Fonterra chairman Henry van der Heyden says his Queen's Birthday award is a timely honour for the dairy industry as it plays an increasingly vital role in New Zealand's economic growth.
Van der Heyden has been made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DCNZM) for his services to agriculture - the equivalent of a knighthood under the old system.
Speaking from a holiday bach near Rotorua, he said he was thrilled by the award, although a little surprised, as he was "only halfway through my career".
But van der Heyden was happy to accept the award.
"It didn't take me long to realise that this isn't about me. This is arecognition of all the hard work that the farmers have done, all the hard work over the last 40 or 50 years toget to where we are today."
Fonterra - which van der Heyden played a key role in setting up in 2001 - is New Zealand's largest company and the world's biggest dairy exporter. It generates 20 per cent of New Zealand's foreign income.
The award comes at a time when global dairy prices are booming and Fonterra is predicting a record payout to farmers next year. The expected rise in next year's payout is worth an extra $120,000 to the average dairy farmer, and economists estimate it will add $1.5 billion to the economy.
The son of Dutch immigrant dairy farmers, van der Heyden and his wife, Jocelyn, are based in Hamilton but have a dairy farm at Putaruru, in south Waikato. They have four adult children one of whom is also a dairy farmer.
Van der Heyden credits a 1990 meeting with former industry leader Sir James Graham - who was Dairy Board chairman between 1982 and 1989 - for starting him on a political path.
Sir James gave him "the tap on the shoulder" and told him that he and his family had got a lot out of dairying and it was time for him to put something back in.
Van der Heyden took the words to heart and, two years later, was elected to the board of the Dairy Group co-operative.
"My parents came out in the mid-50s. They wanted to be dairy farmers and build a future for their kids. At that time there were probably about 200 co-operatives around the country. When I started farming there were probably about 40."
It had taken generations of hard work to bring the industry together under Fonterra, he said.
"I guess all I've been doing is carrying the baton for a couple of generations that had the vision to create a company of size and scale for the international market."
The country was now reaping the benefits of that vision as the industry was in a position to take advantage of the current strong global demand for New Zealand dairy products.
