Roadmap set to double hort exports by 2035
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
Age hasn't been a barrier for young vegetable grower of the year Austin Singh Purewal.
The 18-year old has managed a lot in his horticulture career already: he won HortNZ’s Pukekohe regional competition in May and scooped the national title in Tauranga two weeks ago, becoming Young Grower of the Year.
Purewal also holds a NCEA L3 in agriculture/horticulture, a GrowSafe Certificate and an approved handler certification.
And to top it, following his regional success, Purewal was offered a role in the T&G Global key accounts team, supporting sales to supermarkets and connecting growers with customers.
Purewal told Rural News that growing up on the family farm in Pukekohe provided an ideal foundation. Support from his dad and elder brother was also a key factor.
“Without them I wouldn’t be half the person I am today,” he said.
Purewal hopes to use his win to explore new opportunities in the industry and build experience and knowledge.
He gave the competition his best shot and winning the national title is a great honour.
“It’s almost like another job, to be honest… it takes up a lot of your time if you are dedicated to it.
“If you put a lot of effort in, you get lots out of it. From meeting new people to opening up my mind to opportunities within the industry, that’s what I wanted to get out of the competition. I didn’t necessarily want to win. I wanted to come out of it with more opportunities.”
Throughout the leadership panel and speech events, Purewal voiced his views on the importance of diversity and encouraging young people into roles in the industry. He hoped that by entering he has shown his peers they can also achieve great things in the industry.
HortNZ chief executive Mike Chapman said competitions like these are essential because they highlight horticulture as a vibrant career for young people.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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