Five contestants, including the first woman to take part in four years, go head to head tomorrow in a day-long contest for the 2014 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the Year title.

The contestants are Te Puke-based Eastpack line quality manager Samantha Mansell, Kiwifruit Vine Health operation advisor Christopher Clement from Tauranga, Katikati-based Apata Group Ltd technical advisor Craig Ward and Hume Pack and Cool field manager Simon Bowker, also form Katikati and Whangarei's Onyx Capital Limited contracting manager/director Patrick Malley.

Although not from the Bay, Patrick is eligible to enter because there is no young fruit grower event in his region.

The contestants' skills and horticultural knowledge will be tested in a day of practical and theory events concluding with the awards dinner and their final speeches tomorrow evening at the ASB Arena, Mount Maunganui.

The winner Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower 2014 receives $1500 in cash, a one-day media and presentation training course in Wellington, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to Christchurch to compete for the title of NZ Young Fruit Grower and Young Grower of the Year.

The second and third placed entrants receive $1000 and $500 respectively.

The public can attend the day's activities to support contestants and the awards dinner, where a keynote speaker will give an address.

Tickets for the dinner are $90 each or $850 for a table of 10, and are available by emailing [email protected] or by phoning 0800 232 505.