Young Grower of the Year Andrew Hutchinson

Young Grower of the Year winner Andrew Hutchinson - good with spuds!

Dom caught up with Young Grower of the Year Andrew Hutchinson on The Country today.

Andrew is from Pukekohe, Auckland and he has been identified by industry leaders as a shining example of the exceptional young talent in New Zealand's 5 billion dollar horticultural sector.

The Young Grower of the Year competition is run by Horticulture New Zealand and is now in its tenth year.

HortNZ Chief Executive, Mike Chapman, said Andrew had a bright future ahead of him and exemplified the capability of young people in today's rapidly growing horticultural industry.

28-year-old Andrew is originally from Tauranga. He studied at Massey University earning a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in horticulture.

He joined AS Wilcox & Sons several years ago, taking a for his OE. On his return to New Zealand he took up a new role as a technical support advisor focused on potatoes.

As well as taking home the national title, Andrew received top marks for three of the five challenges including best practical, best business, and innovation.

Well done Andrew!

You can listen to the full interview in the Soundcloud embed below: