James Blair Named 2026 Young Grower National Champion
James Blair, an agronomist for AS Wilcox and the Pukekohe regional champion, has won the 2026 Young Grower national title.
Raine is Nelson based and has 30 years' experience in the industry. He takes over from Andrew Fenton who has been president since HortNZ's inception in 2005.
Raine has extensive experience both in growing and wide-ranging roles in industry organisations.
"Julian has been a director of the New Zealand Boysenberry Council and Nelson Seasonal Employers Inc, is chair of the New Zealand Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust and a trustee of the Massey Lincoln Agricultural Industry Trust," says Fenton.
"He is very well respected in the industry and the ideal person to help steer the organisation through the next stage of its journey towards the goal of becoming a $10 billion industry by 2020."
Raine has been a grower since the early 1980s. He is a partner in Wai-West Horticulture, which grows apples, boysenberries and kiwifruit on 140ha, and in Hinetai Hops, which grows blackcurrants and hops on 70ha. He is also chairman of Berryfruit Export NZ Ltd.
He was elected to the HortNZ board in 2011.
