Annual RSE and Horticulture Conferences kick off in the Bay of Plenty this month

More than 600 people from across New Zealand’s horticulture sector are expected in Mount Maunganui later this month for the annual Horticulture and Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Conferences.

The event at Mercury Baypark on 28-30 August will see growers, industry groups, sector leaders and supply chain partners discuss pressing issues, challenges and opportunities.

The conferences are hosted by Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ), which represents more than 4,500 growers across New Zealand.

HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley said this year’s conferences will focus on providing a platform for the industry to share stories, ideas and inspiration that are aligned with the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan.

“The event is one of the highlights of the horticulture calendar and we’re looking forward to some great discussions and insights.”

Two conference programmes - the RSE Conference and Horticulture Conference – have been merged into one and bring three days of presentations, speakers and content, she said.

The programme of high-quality speakers includes Hon. Nicola Grigg, Associate Minister of Agriculture (Horticulture), Hon. Erica Stanford, Minister of Immigration, Rachel Depree, Executive Officer for Sustainability at Zespri and Tim Jarvis, Adventurer and Environmental Scientist is this year’s celebrity speaker.

Gareth Edgecombe, CEO T&G Global, Andrew Watene, Head of KPMG Propagate and Simon Limmer, CEO, Indevin, are also on the programme.

The gala dinner and awards will be held on Thursday evening. HortNZ will present awards to recognise outstanding contributions and achievement in New Zealand’s commercial fruit and vegetable growing industry.