Competition cultivates young leaders

Ben Smith of Pukekohe is the 2011 Young Horticulturist of the Year.  Twenty-nine-year-old Ben, who represented Horticulture NZ, received his award at a function in Auckland on 10 November 10.

Ben is a grower manager for Status Produce at Tuakau, responsible for a 5½ hectare greenhouse site growing ranges of speciality tomatoes for supermarkets, food service companies and for export. 

Ben competed against five other finalists from around the country, who represented various areas of the horticulture industry and had reached the final by winning their respective sector competitions.  

Over the two days of competition the finalists tested their expertise in a range of challenges including impressing the judges with their marketing, presentation and accounting skills. The final day of activities was held at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, where the focus was on practical horticultural tasks.

The competition has a prize pool of more than $40,000 and looks to identify horticulturists willing to take on extra challenges which may initiate future leadership roles. It is 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.

“This year we saw a very close competition; all the finalists were confident, practical all-rounders,” said Richard Bawden, National Manager of Fruitfed Supplies, – part of PGG Wrightson Ltd.

“Horticulture is a great lifestyle career, but it is not just about planting and harvesting.  Participants, especially those who are looking at supervisory roles, must also have excellent managerial skills, show a flair for the marketing side of their industry and be aware of industry trends and issues, for example, around sustainability."

Along with Ben, sector finalists represented Landscaping NZ, Nursery and Garden Industry Association, NZ Arboriculture Association, NZ Recreation Ass’n-Amenity Horticulture and NZ Winegrowers.

NZ Recreation Assn/Amenity Horticulture sector finalist Rebekah (Rangi) Green, of Waterview, Auckland, was placed second and Landscaping New Zealand finalist Paul Southan, of Mt Albert, Auckland, took third place.

Linda Haughey steps into new technical services role

The Fruitfed Supplies management team sees further changes with Linda Haughey being appointed to the new position of technical services manager.

Following Richard Bawden’s move into the new Fruitfed Supplies national manager position, former CMS manager Linda Haughey takes on an expanded role as the technical services manager.

Based in Hastings, Linda has led the Crop Monitoring Services business over the last 12 years as it has grown from nothing to the biggest business of its type in New Zealand.

Richard says: “Linda has managed the development of our highly-regarded monitoring service across a range of crops and regions – this business unit now has in excess of 500 clients and more than 50 staff at peak times. She has also been chiefly responsible for developing the custom-built centralised database, Tracit, and other IT platforms to increase efficiencies for the Fruitfed Supplies sales representatives in the field.

“In her new role, Linda takes responsibility for the technical, research and development teams as well as crop monitoring and technology development.”

Linda is excited by the challenges ahead. “The new structure links two key teams – technical and CMS – allowing us to build on specialised talent and skills in R&D, crop management and technology.

Linda says: “Research and development by our regional technical advisors plays an important role in supporting clients with positive crop management solutions, as does the accurate, timely information from our CMS team. I see the combination of both areas of expertise allowing us to deliver even better levels of information and advice in an increasingly challenging environment.

“Markets for New Zealand produce demand ever higher levels of traceability and faster, more efficient ways of data transfer. We can draw on our strengths with technology from the CMS side to aid our technical team and how they provide support and training for customers and suppliers. The stronger ties between CMS and technical will also aid the continuous improvement of crop monitoring protocols and systems we provide our customers.”

Supporting Linda in her new position, Paul Hassan takes on the role of research and development team leader and James (Jimmy) Bowden becomes the crop monitoring team leader.

Based in Richmond, Paul has been part of the technical team for 12 years and, over the past two years, has managed CMS for Blenheim and Nelson, helping support the adoption of pipfruit, grape and kiwifruit IPM systems and the introduction of new CMS technology into both regions.

“I’ll be coordinating the research and development activity of the technical team to facilitate the delivery of valued information to staff and customers, and working closely with local and international suppliers to help bring innovative products to market which meet our customers’ needs,” says Paul. “I’m really looking forward to working with our talented team of researchers who have a good mix of youth and experience.”

Jimmy’s expertise includes developing the pipfruit and pheromone trap monitoring segment of the CMS business, developing the industry-standard IPM monitoring programmes and considerable involvement with the IT development projects. In his new role still based in Hastings, Jimmy will manage the crop monitoring team and continue to provide support in new technology development. 

Richard Bawden appointed to head Fruitfed Supplies

With Stephen Guerin, former general manager of Fruitfed Supplies, having been appointed as the general manager of Rural Supplies for PGG Wrightson, Richard Bawden now steps into a new position as the Fruitfed Supplies national manager.

Formerly New Zealand technical manager, heading a team of five, Bawden took on his new responsibilities for the wider Fruitfed Supplies group in July.

Guerin’s new position sees him now with overall responsibility for PGG Wrightson’s 105 stores across New Zealand as well as the Fruitfed business. The new role of Fruitfed Supplies national manager reports to Guerin who says Bawden has the credentials to ensure the business achieves its objectives and to continue developing the strong brand presence of the Fruitfed Supplies business in New Zealand’s horticultural marketplace.

Guerin says: “I’m very pleased Richard accepted this appointment as he has a very good grounding across the Fruitfed Supplies business, with clients and sales as a branch manager in Katikati and most recently as the national technical manager. He is well connected in the industry, across the regions, with numerous clients and across all crops. I look forward to supporting him in his vision for Fruitfed Supplies to remain the leader in the horticultural sector, and his strengthened focus on the technical aspects of this business and how we add value for clients.”

There are several key elements underpinning Fruitfed Supplies in the market, says Bawden, including the Technical and Crop Monitoring Services teams, and how they work with Fruitfed’s talented field and customer service representatives.

“I believe strongly that Fruitfed Supplies is differentiated from our competitors with the expertise, knowledge and ability of the personnel we have in our Technical and CMS teams. Add these elements to the knowledge and expertise of our field and customer service reps, and there is a significant resource dedicated to supporting our clients in their businesses. We seek to continue improving the depth and breadth of our technical expertise and how we deliver this knowledge to clients via our own staff and other means of communication such as grower meetings.”

Bawden adds: “I have a great personal understanding of these elements of the business and enjoy the challenges that come with enhancing our skills across the wider Fruitfed Supplies team.

“We have great people working for the company. How we retain them and how we recruit talented new people to join us is another area of focus. We want to add value for clients by focussing on people, their skills and what we can deliver to our clients.”

Bawden says he took the new position because he believes wholeheartedly in the Fruitfed Supplies business. “We’re here to help our clients be more productive and more profitable in their business through technology, products and services at competitive prices.”

Over the next few years Bawden sees considerable scope for improved technology within the business. “Through advances in software and hardware, the methods we use to communicate and deliver information to staff and clients and how our team operates in the field will continue to change and improve.”

Coming into spring, Bawden aims to ensure the Fruitfed Supplies team is equipped to deliver the stock that growers need during this important growing period.

“Stock management is tight – we’re not expecting shortages, but it’s certainly important to keep talking with your reps about specific requirements you expect to have so we can plan accordingly.

“We see that some sectors, such as avocados and stonefruit, are going pretty well, while other sectors, such as pipfruit and kiwifruit are under particular pressure. The high value of the New Zealand dollar is obviously having an effect for both sectors, while kiwifruit growers have the additional pressure of dealing with Psa. We continue to work with Zespri to source and research the best products and knowledge to assist growers as we go into spring.”

Bawden’s replacement in the technical manager’s role is currently being sought. “With the Technical team and their work such an important and valued part of our business, the priority is to get the right person in this role as soon as we reasonably can. We look forward to introducing the successful applicant in due course.”

Organic options available at all Fruitfed stores

Increasing numbers of commercial growers are exploring the potential benefits of converting to organic crop production. Fruitfed Supplies staff around the country can help with products, services and advice.

An existing or potential organic grower may not first think of Fruitfed Supplies as a source of certified organic crop protection and nutrition products. However there are numerous organic   products in-store, backed up by expert advice from Fruitfed’s field representatives, says Peter Mortimer, the company’s southern region manager.

“Several members of staff have extensive knowledge of the organic sector, particularly in pipfruit and grapes,” says Peter. “We also have staff working with organic cherry growers in Central Otago where more than one other stonefruit grower is in the process of going organic.”

In Blenheim, field representative Antony Bell says there are a number of factors behind the growth in organic grape growing. “While the actual volume of organic grapes being grown isn’t large in relation to the whole sector, there is increasing interest. People like the idea of spraying with softer chemistry and being organic could offer some advantages for contract growers looking to stand out from the crowd.”

Antony adds: “Conventional growers are looking at new, softer chemistry which often means organically-certified products like Kumulus sulphur, which has a very good reputation for quality. Another organic product, Serenade Max, is backed by extensive trial work and used by conventional and organic growers alike.

“To grow organic grapes successfully, there must be a greater awareness of vineyard and canopy management, with tasks like leaf plucking to ensure good air movement known to be very important. My observations are that organic growing is more labour intensive, but the benefits are definitely there for some growers.”

In Hawke’s Bay, field representative Andrew McNeill services a mix of grape growers from totally organic to those converting to organics, and those who grow totally conventionally.

The interest in organics is very apparent with major labels like Villa Maria having already established certified organic blocks with more in conversion, as have Pernod Ricard, Mission Estate and Elephant Hill. Another client, Two Gates is completely organic. There are some concerns with the cost benefits, but mechanical weeding has helped reduce some of these costs,” says Andrew.

“Mechanical weeding also has the benefit of disrupting ant and mealybug activity which may reduce spreading of virus complexes. Along with leaf removal as Antony mentioned, these two practices are particularly important for organic growers.”

The biggest aspect of Andrew’s service is the advice he can provide organic growers, which complements the range of organic products available from Fruitfed Supplies Hastings, which is a Bio-Gro approved supplier.

“We have numerous products available such as biofungicide and beneficial organism   products which can help keep crops healthy and reduce disease pressure. JMS Stylet Oil is organically-registered and very good at controlling early season powdery mildew, blister mite, mealybug and Botrytis. It is also kinder to the leaves than sulphur and easier to work with having no dust or smell.”

Andrew also notes that, at present, only some overseas markets are prepared to pay more for wines made from organic grapes. “If wine companies can grow or hold their profit margin with organic wine sales, we’ll see more making the change. It’s definitely something many companies are looking at.”

Also in Hawke’s Bay, Fruitfed Supplies representatives Hamish Stevenson and Vic Barlow work with numerous organic pipfruit growers and Hawke’s Bay sales manager Phil Carter notes that at least one major vegetable grower in the district is looking at converting to organic growing methods in the next few years.

Phil says: “At present, there are a limited number of effective organically- registered products, also limited trial work. Within Fruitfed, our Technical team has included a growing number of organic crop protection products in our independent trials so we look forward to further trial results becoming available in coming seasons.”

2010 Young Horticulturist of the Year announced

Stuart Dudley, of Blenheim, is the 2010 Young Horticulturist of the Year.  Twenty-eight-year-old-year-old Stuart, a viticulturist at Delegat’s Wines Estate represented NZ Wine Growers at the Auckland final.

Stuart competed against seven other finalists from around the country who represented various areas of the horticulture industry and had reached the finals by winning their respective sector competitions. The Young Horticulturist of the Year, which features Fruitfed Supplies as one of the major sponsors, was a two-day event, with a focus on practical horticulture skills. The finalists also presented to a judging panel pre-prepared marketing projects, a section of the competition which is supported by The Agriculture and Marketing Research Trust (AGMARDT).

Managed by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Education Trust, the competition, with a prize pool of more than $43,000, is sponsored by the NZ Horticulture Industry Training Organisation, Fruitfed Supplies, AGMARDT, FMG and Turners and Growers.  Manurewa’s Botanic Gardens were the venue for the practical section of the competition and the award function was held at the Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland, on Thursday evening (November 4th).

Stuart says the competition took him out of his comfort zone.  “Being from the viticulture area I found some activities like planting a vegetable garden quite challenging.  But it is a case of preparing yourself mentally.  I always find with things like this the judges are looking to see what you do know, rather than what you don’t. You have to aware of the challenges and be ready to conqueror them.

“But overall it was an amazing couple of days.  Every one of the finalists deserved to win.”

Stuart says he intends to use his travel prize to visit vine yards in Chile and Argentina.

Along with Stuart, sector finalists represented the NZ Arboricultural Association, Fruit Sector of Horticulture NZ, FLONZI, Landscaping NZ, Nursery and Garden Industry Association, NZ Recreation Ass’n-Amenity Horticulture and the Vegetable Sector of Horticulture NZ.

Event organiser Elenka Nikoloff says the competition recognises the country’s most talented horticulturists aged under 30 years. 

“They are the future of New Zealand’s horticulture industry; we are keen to applaud them and offer them assistance on their path to their leadership roles.  

“This year we saw a very close competition; all the finalists were confident, practical all-rounders.  Horticulture is a great lifestyle career, but it is not just about planting and harvesting.  Participants, especially those who are looking at supervisory roles, must also be aware of industry trends and issues, have excellent managerial skills and show a flair for the marketing side of their industry.  

“Every year our aim is to make the competition challenging for the competitors and we are delighted the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. David Carter, has given it his backing, acknowledging it as an important initiative in the horticulture industry.”   

Nursery & Garden Industry Association finalist Dave Harris, of Nelson, took second prize and Gareth Holder, of Taradale, who represented the Vege Sector of Horticulture NZ, was third.