Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Young Te Puke fruit grower in national finals

Bay of Plenty Times
6 Aug, 2017 09:47 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Erin Atkinson is representing the Bay in a horticulture competition. Photo supplied

Erin Atkinson is representing the Bay in a horticulture competition. Photo supplied

Erin Atkinson will represent the Bay of Plenty at the national Young Grower of the Year competition in Christchurch next week.

The 30-year-old technical advisor for Apata Group Ltd in Te Puke triumphed over five other young fruit growers to take home the Bay of Plenty title back in February.

On August 16 and 17, at the Sudima Airport Hotel in Christchurch, she will test her horticultural skills and knowledge against the other finalists to compete for the 2017 national title.

The competition is run by industry representative Horticulture New Zealand and sponsored by the Horticentre Trust and is now in its 11th year.

In the national competition, one vegetable grower will be pitted against four fruit growers to vie for the Young Grower of the Year title.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

One of the four fruit growers will also be named Young Fruit Grower of the Year.

The competition will involve a series of practical and theoretical challenges designed to test the skills needed to run a successful export-focused horticultural business.

All finalists will also take part in a leadership panel discussion, before delivering a speech in front of the judges at a dinner event, where the winner is announced.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman said the aim of the competition was to foster excellence amongst young growers and future-proof what is a $5.6 billion industry that exports 60 per cent of total production to about 124 countries.

"The competition is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional young growers while also supporting them in their futures. Erin is a great example of the young people who are passionate about the industry's future and their role in it. She has such a promising career ahead of her."

Erin's competition

- Young Vegetable Grower 2017 - Scott Wilcox, Pukekohe
- Hawke's Bay Young Fruit Grower 2016 and 2017 - Jordan James, Whakatu
- Central Otago Young Fruit Grower 2017 - Ben Geaney, Waimate
- Nelson Young Fruit Grower 2017 - Ralph Bastian, Appleby

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Premium
Bay of Plenty Times

High-profile Tauranga retail site sold for $18.6m to local investors

29 Jun 11:31 PM
Bay of Plenty Times

Cyclist hospitalised after car crash at busy Tauranga roundabout

29 Jun 10:05 PM
Sport

Weighlifters named NZ Team flag bearers

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Premium
High-profile Tauranga retail site sold for $18.6m to local investors

High-profile Tauranga retail site sold for $18.6m to local investors

29 Jun 11:31 PM

The site houses Noel Leeming, Animates, Elite Fitness, and Chemist Warehouse.

Cyclist hospitalised after car crash at busy Tauranga roundabout

Cyclist hospitalised after car crash at busy Tauranga roundabout

29 Jun 10:05 PM
Weighlifters named NZ Team flag bearers

Weighlifters named NZ Team flag bearers

Premium
What’s the market mood at the midpoint?

What’s the market mood at the midpoint?

29 Jun 04:17 PM
There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently
sponsored

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP