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Twenty-eight-year-old Maatu Akonga won the 2022 title of Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower
Hawke’s Bay talent garners Young Fruit Grower title Just a decade into his career in horticulture, T&G Global assistant manager, Maatu Akonga, has added another accolade to his name, taking out the title of Hawke’s Bay Young Fruit Grower of the Year. Emily Pope The 28-year-old vied against six other contestants in a series of theoretical and practical modules designed to exercise horticultural skills and knowledge. The win came as a surprise even after delivering a strong speech on the awards night, he says. “I feel very humbled and honoured to have won,” says Maatu. “I knew I hadn’t done too badly, but it was difficult to know with such tough competition.” 20
The ORCHARDIST : JULY 2022
Maatu says the achievement is not only a celebration of his professional journey but the personal growth it took to get there. “I said in my speech that it isn’t until you step outside your comfort zone that you know what you’re truly capable of achieving,” says Maatu. “I have really had to push myself to get to where I am today.” When Maatu first joined the industry in 2012, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.
