The RNZIH Education Trust are underway with planning for the 2023 Competition and are currently reaching to the supporters and new supporters as we hear up for another great Competition!

2023 Support
If you are interested in finding out more on how you can be a supporter of the Competition, please let us know.
We have re-branded some of our sponsorship tiers to reflect the differing levels of support.
We can't run this valuable Competition without the support from businesses in and around the industry.

A big THANK YOU to our community of supporters for their ongoing support!
Here we have a few words from one of our Partnering Sponsors:

"Fruitfed Supplies is well aware of the need to educate and bring new emerging talent into the horticulture industry.  NZ needs far more young people in the industry, we need more people to make a career out of Horticulture, and we definitely will require more leaders in this industry into the future.

This Competition is a great way to promote horticulture as a career, while also giving contestants the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and share experiences with like-minded people.  Fruitfed are proud to be part of such a great Competition!" - Duncan Fletcher; National Manager, Fruitfed Supplies (as pictured below with 2022 Winner Regan Judd)


RNZIH Education Trust AGM
This is set for Friday 19th May, all are welcome so if you are keen to come along and be part of the team, please register your interest with our Event Manager today.

The 2023 Grand Final dates have been set for:
Day 1:  Tuesday 7th November 2023
            
Business Components Day @ New Zealand Bloodstock Centre, Karaka, Auckland
Day 2:  Wednesday 8th November 2023
            Practical Components Day @ New Zealand Bloodstock Centre, Karaka, Auckland

2023 Young Horticulturist Grand Final Awards Dinner
Wednesday 8th November 2023 
@ New Zealand Bloodstock Centre, Karaka, Auckland
The Young Horticulturist of the Year Awards Dinner is attended by the seven 2023 finalists, a wide range of industry suppliers and sponsors as well as the main sector organisations (representing the horticultural industry), growers, employers, friends and family supporting the finalist, a total of an estimate 250-300 guests.

It is the only horticultural industry event to bring together the whole industry to celebrate the achievements of young people employed in horticulture throughout New Zealand.

2023 Competition Prize Pool
We are excited to be able to offer over $30,000 worth in prizes this year which includes a combination of cash, professional development, products and goodie bags.

Professional Development Day 2023
On Tuesday 9th May we look forward to seeing our 2022 finalists again as we host them for our post Competition Professional Development Day at the Auckland Botanic Garden.
This Professional Development Day encourages cross-sector networking opportunities and further development of leadership skills and connections with the finalists.
We are looking forward to catching up with our seven 2022 finalists and seeing what they have been up to since the November Competition.

2023 Young Horticulturist Competition - Orientation Day
This is the launch for the 2023 Competition for the 2023 Sector Finalists.  We look forward to welcoming our new finalists at the Orientation Day which will be held on Tuesday 5th September at the Auckland Botanic Gardens.
Sector Winners come together for a one-day Young Horticulturist Orientation Day and then complete a written business project and a Market Innovation Project, in their own time over an eight-week period.

 The Young Horticulturist Competition Aims:

  • To identify young people in the horticultural industry with leadership potential
  • To foster and encourage the development of leadership capability in these people to meet future industry  challenges.
  • To foster an insight into world class marketing, global supply chains, new products, new technologies and   business models, through activities in the competition.
  • To encourage sector winners to seize new opportunities and new challenges and use them in a learning and self-development process.
  •  To raise awareness of the role of horticulture in the NZ economy
  •  To raise awareness of potential career paths in the horticultural industry.
  •  To encourage communication and appreciation of common interests between sector groups.
  •  To encourage and develop collaborative leadership.


There are up to seven horticultural sectors represented in the Young Horticulturist Competition.
Each sector association runs a competition to identify who will represent their sector at the Grand Final of the Young Horticulturist Competition, held in November each year.
It is estimated about 80-100 young people under 30 years of age and of a high caliber from a wide range of backgrounds, will contest these various sector competitions.

In the eighteen years the Competition has been running, the Young Horticulturist Competition has had a positive influence at all levels, supporting and growing the capabilities of young people as well as uniting the various horticultural sectors and leading suppliers to address a major industry issue - attracting a growing number of young people to view horticulture as a viable career.

 Posts of photos, videos and news regarding our finalists and sponsors are promoted on the Young Hort Facebook page and through Instagram on a regular basis.

Please visit and follow our page for updates on www.facebook.com/YoungHortNZ

On the Young Horticulturist website www.younghort.co.nz

You can contact Leanda and the team anytime on: event.manager@younghort.co.nz or (09) 2947129 or (027) 4280826