Meet Bryce Morrison, client relationship manager at Chamber member Seeka. Bryce was recently awarded the coveted title of Bay of Plenty’s Young Grower of the Year for 2021.

The annual competition tests applicants from the horticulture industry on their skills and knowledge in a series of challenges.

The day’s activities are then followed by a speech competition at a gala dinner, where this year each contestant spoke on the important lessons learned from COVID-19 and how they could be implemented for future years.

Entering the competition for the second time, and hungry to take the win, we asked Bryce some quick-fire questions about the competition and his role at Seeka.

What is your role at Seeka entail?

I am the go-to for our growers if they have any questions or queries. We catch up regularly to make sure everything is running smoothly, and I help sort out any issues that they might be having.

How long have you been there? What were you doing prior to this role?

I moved to Opotiki in January after taking the Grower Services role with OPAC (Opotiki Packing and Coolstorage). After a few months we found out that Seeka would be amalgamating with us.

Before this I was based in Tauranga for four years with Fruition Horticulture Bay of Plenty in a consultancy and technical services role.

What are some projects in your career you have been most proud of?

During my time in Tauranga, I was fortunate to be involved in the Gold Futures project with Plant and Food Research. This Zespri and Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) project was focused on the continued management of Psa in Gold3 orchards. We developed produce good management practices that growers could implement in their continued battle with Psa.

From this project, Fruition was able to create the Cut It Out project, which worked with the industry to understand current cut-out practices for Psa management.

Why did you decide to enter the BOP Young Grower of the Year competition?

This was my second time competing and I was driven to improve on my performance from last year, plus being 29 now, I wouldn’t have had many more attempts to bring home the title!

The competition is a wonderful experience which offers so much for the competitors. It provides an opportunity for upskilling and industry networking like nothing else. I would encourage anyone eligible to enter and give it a go. There is nothing to lose and it’s not as daunting at you might think.

What did you have to do as part of the competition? How did you find the challenges? What was the most challenging and which ones did you feel most confident with?

The day competition was made up of eight events (4 practical and 4 theory):

• Tractor and fork competency
• Grafting
• Fertiliser application
• Avocado tree planting
• Biosecurity quiz
• Passion Vine Hopper (PVH) quiz
• Financial test
• Innovation pitch

Then we finished the day with a gala dinner and speech competition. I decided to focus on the importance of connectivity, both human and digital connectivity, and how we need robust digital connectivity going into the future.

I enjoy the range of activities and how they push you out of your comfort zone. I don’t usually drive tractors or deal with avocados.

After the day event, I knew I have given it my best this year and would have been proud whatever the outcome.

I ended up taking out the grafting, PVH quiz, financial test and the speech.

How did it feel to win?

It was such a buzz to win, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was extremely proud to bring home the win and to do so surrounded by friends and my team. I am still riding the high now and probably will be for a few more weeks.

What are your future plans for the next six months to a year?

I’m firmly focused on the upcoming National Young Grower Competition, which will take place September 22-23 in Lower Hutt. I hope to perform well in this competition, but also want to enjoy the experience and make the most of it.

After our amalgamation with Seeka, I am looking forward to the opportunities and growth that is ahead for our team, and in a years’ time I hope to have completed another successful harvest for our growers.

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