Winning the 2012 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the Year title reaffirmed for Joel Wanhill of Te Puke that he'd chosen the right career.

'I entered for the experience and didn't expect to win but when I did it made me think that maybe I was in the right job,” says Joel, who works for Ken and Helen Edkins of Te Puke.

Joel Wanhill is encouraging this year's Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the Year entrants.

He's encouraging those who have entered this year's event, to be held at Baypark on Wednesday June 26, to give it their best shot even though some of the tasks may be unfamiliar.

'I probably found time management one of the hardest aspects of the contest. There were so many different aspects to think about and it was a lot to take in,” says Joel who scored top marks in plant identification, fertiliser and best speech categories of last year's contest and won the supreme practical award.

This year's competitors will showcase their leadership and innovation skills through horticultural-related theoretical and practical tasks during the day event and a speech competition during the awards and gala dinner in the evening. The winner will receive $1500 in cash and go forward to the NZ Young Fruit Grower contest at the HortNZ Conference in July. Second place receives $1000 with $500 for third.

The event attracts hundreds of local Bay of Plenty people from within the horticulture industry and this year New Zealand's Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, will be the guest speaker at the dinner.

Joel has worked for Helen and Ken on their 18 ha green and gold kiwifruit orchard at Te Puke for two years and has just completed polytech studies in horticulture.

Ken says Joel is a valuable and conscientious employee. 'He is really committed to the job and works to the job, not the clock. The industry needs young people like Joel coming through and they bring new ideas too.

'We have a policy of involving everyone in decision making regarding what we do on the orchard and Joel makes valuable contributions to those discussions.”

Green Hayward kiwifruit account for 12 ha of the Edkin orchard with the balance in the new variety G3, which was re-grafted this summer after the winter grafts were destroyed by frost.

Joel says the vine disease Psa-V and the new varieties have brought about different ways of managing orchards but he's enjoying the challenge.

'I might enter the young grower of the year contest again in future with the aim of winning the national title.”

The 2013 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the Year is on Wednesday June 26 at the Baypark Function Centre, Mount Maunganui. The awards evening and gala dinner will be held in the TECT Arena Suites at Baypark Stadium from 6.30 pm. Tickets are on sale for $70 per person, or tables of 10 for $650; and can be purchased from Jacqui Craig at NZ Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated on (07) 574 7139 or email [email protected]