Down-to-earth competition ahead

The contest will be tight. The six finalists in this year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition have all demonstrated they know their plants and their produce. With success at sector competitions, they have also proved they have the enthusiasm and determination to play important roles in the future of the horticultural industry.

Now the finalists, all aged under 30 years, representing - NZ Winegrowers, the Nursery & Garden Industry Association, Landscaping NZ, the Vegetable and Fruit sectors of Horticulture NZ, NZ Arboriculture Assn and the NZ Recreation Assn – Parkland Amenity Sector, face the ultimate test. They will need to impress the judges on November 9th & 10th to benefit from the competition’s prize pool of more than $40,000.

Managed by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Education Trust, in conjunction with the partnering sponsors: The Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust (AGMARDT), Fruitfed Supplies, Turners & Growers and the NZ Horticulture Industry Training Organisation, the competition is looking to identify horticulturists willing to take on extra challenges which may initiate future leadership roles.

The competition is in its seventh year. Previous winners have included four viticulturists, a fruit export manager and a tree nursery sales manager.

Keen supporter of the competition Richard Bawden, National Manager of Fruitfed Supplies, a subsidiary of leading rural services company PGG Wrightson, says the person who is most likely to take out the title will have a broad skill base across a range of disciplines.

‘We are looking for someone who knows how their business works,” says Richard. “They must also be aware horticulture is more than just growing and harvesting. It involves so much more in terms of technology, industry trends and risk management.

“The benefits of the competition are two-fold. For the competitors, it exposes them to issues outside their usual responsibilities and to people from other horticulture sectors, which could lead to different opportunities in the future. The competition offers a challenge to those who have shown initiative to date. Over the years we have seen young people who put their hands up to enter - not necessarily won - but have proved they are someone to watch.

“For the sponsors, it is helping to ensure our future. At Fruitfed Supplies we are aware that not a huge number of young people are involved with horticulture, so encouragement for them to enter the industry is a good thing.”

The competition’s overall winner receives a selection of prizes, including a travel package to the value of $9,000. Second prize includes a Massey University study package to the value of $5,500, plus a $2,000 FMG travel package.

In addition to the main prizes, there are a number of awards on offer. For the finalist who receives the highest score for the practical activities during the grand final will receive a Turners & Growers travel scholarship valued at $5,000.

For the finalist who receives the highest score for a range of activities with a focus on crop management practices and sustainability will receive a $2000 Bayer scholarship, plus $500 cash. There is also a $5,000 cash prize for the best overall AGMARDT Market Innovation Project submitted by the finalists.

The winner will be announced at an evening function in Auckland on November 10th.

ENDS

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