Dairy expert wins ROCA merit award

Alumni

A Roseworthy Agricultural College graduate with a distinguished record of service to the dairy industries both in Australia and overseas is the winner of the 2005 Roseworthy Old Collegians' Association Award of Merit.

Mr Ron Mertin AM was presented with the award at the ROCA annual dinner in Adelaide last month.

In presenting the award, ROCA president Mr Mark Seeliger said Mr Mertin, who graduated in 1949 with a Diploma in Dairying, had had a 60-year career laced with achievements.

"Firstly, he managed dairy processing plants in SA and the ACT, then had 12 years high level service to the national dairy industry while in the Commonwealth Public Service," Mr Seeliger said.

"His first overseas assignment was in 1976 when he was seconded to the then Australian Development Assistance Bureau Program to assist Pakistan in the development of dairy herds, dairy plant operations and village cooperative societies.

"Then followed a 20-year association with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN and other agencies in other countries, including Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Bangladesh.

"In 1995 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Australian-Asian relations as an adviser on dairy plant management. He was also a volunteer consultant with the Australian Expert Services Overseas Program serving in Vietnam, Fiji and Laos.

"Testament to his skills is that last year, at age 81, he was asked by the National Dairy Development Board of India to conduct a critical study of milk packaging systems in a network of milk plants, plus the logistics of milk distribution to New Delhi markets."

Mr Mertin joins a select group of Merit recipients including oenologists John Vickery and Philip Laffer, research scientist Graham Mitchell, and innovative horticulturist and marketer Grant Paech.