Viticulture technician named Young Horticulturist of the Year

A two-day competition tests young horticulturists on practical, business, science and sustainability challenges.


Listen to the full interview:

A Marlborough viticulture technician is the 2026 Young Horticulturist of the Year.

Constellation Brands viticulture technician Anna Kelland says she plans to put her professional development scholarship towards postgraduate agribusiness study at Massey University.

“It was fantastic just to represent my sector,” she says.

Anna qualified for the competition as the 2025 New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year.

She grew up in Hawke’s Bay and left school a year early to study wine science at EIT.

Anna says pests and diseases are her passion project.

“Knowing all about the bugs and the critters, that’s my area that I like to work in.”

She says science students can try a summer in the vineyards, picking or thinning, to see whether the career suits them.

To learn more, visit nzwine.com

Watch the full interview:

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.

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