A Northlander who won the Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower competition hopes his success will inspire other young people in the North to make careers in horticulture.
Thirty-year-old Patrick Malley - who beat four Bay of Plenty (BoP) rivals to win the June 18 contest at Mt Maunganui - is the contracting manager/director at the 24ha Onyx Capital kiwifruit and avocado orchard at Maungatapere.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc president Neil Trebilco said others from outside the BoP had contested the Young Fruit Grower competition in the past, but Mr Malley was the first from Northland. "He is to be congratulated," Mr Trebilco said. "He made a lightning raid from the North, collected the spoils and has taken off. He was a very worthy winner."
The Onyx Capital orchard was bought by Mr Malley's parents, Dermott and Linzi Malley, in 2011. Patrick, who is close to completing a bachelor of business studies degree course, and his veterinarian wife Rebecca joined them in 2012.
Since their arrival the family has doubled kiwifruit production to more than 150,000 trays this season and they aim to triple the output to 225,000 trays next season. The competition at Mt Maunganui involved a range of practical and theoretical challenges to test skills necessary in running a successful fruit growing business. "Questions ranged from key fertilisers to biosecurity issues. We had to give an impromptu speech about ourselves to 100 school kids," Mr Malley said. "The other competitors were good and there was a tiebreaker at the death. The five of us put everything we had into the contest. I wasn't expecting to walk away with the top prize as it meant I had to beat four others who are at the top of their game and it was a really close competition."
