Bay fruit industry proud of winner

ROSE HARDING
A young Hastings horticulturist is on top of the world - in New Zealand at least.
Dean Astill won the inaugural national young horticulturist of the year contest in Auckland on Friday.
Dean, 28, representing the fruit industry, won the contest from four finalists from other horticultural disciplines such as arboriculture, amenity horticulture, landscaping and nursery production.
He won the Hawke's Bay competition earlier this year, then the fruit industry's final and, lastly, the national final which was run in conjunction with the Ellerslie Flower Show on Friday.
He has won $7000 of overseas travel and an $11,000 scholarship to an Auckland University leadership course next year.
But first he and partner Tanya Jackson are having a two-week holiday in Queensland.
He has worked for Rex Graham at Fresh New Zealand for about 10 years and is now crop manager for the company's customers in New Zealand, the US, Canada and Taiwan. He said he was "overwhelmed" with his win.
He says he will use his travel prize for a trip to Europe next year with Tanya.
He wasn't certain of the details of the leadership course but said it would involve two days a month with the other course candidates.
"It should provide some really good opportunities." Mr Graham said he was proud and delighted with Dean's win.
"It's tremendous for our industry and special for Hawke's Bay."
He said Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association and Horticulture Industry Training Organisation education officer Norm Miller did a great job supporting and guiding him through.
The contest started on Friday with oral and practical exams. Each candidate had to answer the same two questions and then questions specific to their specialty.
Then came the hortisports, which were held at the flower show. Contestants had to assemble a wooden toy tractor, then fix and start a chainsaw, pack a tray of kiwifruit and sample three glasses of wine and say what they were.
The afternoon was taken up with individual interviews and computer questions.
In the evening there was a rapid-fire quiz, then each contestant gave a four-minute presentation.