I came to New Zealand straight after finishing high school in India. Within a few days of arriving, I found my first job in a kiwifruit orchard. 

I still remember the date — 20 July 2010. It was the middle of winter and my first job was winter pruning. 

It actually took me pretty much that whole first season to properly learn pruning. From there I slowly worked through all the different canopy jobs and started learning from some very experienced growers and people in the industry. I still call a few of those people my mentors today and I'm still in touch with them. 

As my interest and passion for kiwifruit grew, I wanted to understand more than just how to do the job — I wanted to understand why the plant responds the way it does. That led me to study horticulture at Level 5 and 6, where plant physiology helped connect the science with what I'd already been seeing practically in the orchard.  

Almost by accident. I'd just landed in New Zealand after finishing high school in India and needed a job. A few days later, on 20 July 2010, I was standing in a kiwifruit orchard learning how to winter prune. 

At that point I certainly wasn't thinking, this is going to become my career. I was just trying to learn the job. 

But slowly I became fascinated by it. Once I learned pruning, I wanted to understand the next job, then the next one. Eventually it became less about doing orchard work and more about understanding the vine — why we're making a cut here, why we're keeping that cane, what today's decision is going to do to the plant next season. 

That's really where the passion started.

About 16 years now, since around 2010. Most of that time has been directly involved with kiwifruit orchards in one form or another.  

I’ve worked my way through orchard worker, supervisor, assistant manager and orchard management roles, and I’ve also had experience on the post-harvest side. Now I run Top OGR, independently managing and consulting for growers. Having worked at different levels helps because I understand both the technical decision and what it actually takes to execute that decision properly on the ground. 

Probably that small decisions compound.There usually isn't one magic product or one job that creates a great orchard. It's hundreds of decisions around timing, canopy, crop load, plant health, people and execution. 

The other big lesson is to make difficult decisions early. Keeping a poor vine, poor structure or poor practice because you're scared of the short-term loss can cost much more over the next several seasons And never assume you've figured kiwifruit out completely. Every season and every orchard teaches you something different. 

Not yet, but it’s definitely a dream of mine to own a small kiwifruit block one day — my own little ‘toy’. Somewhere I can come back to at the end of the day, spend a few hours working on the vines, experimenting with ideas and just enjoying it. 

I’m actually one of those people who talks to plants. Some people might laugh at that, but when you’ve spent enough years around vines, you start reading them almost like they’re talking back to you — through their growth, leaves, crop and how they respond to what you've done. 

Quite a few. When I started in 2010, Hort16A was the main Gold variety. Over the years I worked with G9 and G11, and then G3/SunGold, which of course became the major Gold variety we work with today. 

On the Green side, I've worked with Hayward as well as varieties such as Tamoa and G14/Sweet Green, and now we're seeing new genetics such as G146 coming through. 

I've also had exposure to Red varieties, including Red19 and R80. 

Working across different varieties has been valuable because you quickly learn that you can't treat every kiwifruit vine the same. Each variety has its own behavior vigor, canopy, cropping characteristics and management requirements. That's part of what keeps the industry interesting.  

My biggest single management role started in 2018 when I took on a roughly 50-hectare kiwifruit orchard near Wairoa in Hawke’s Bay. It was about 100 kilometres from the main centres we relied on for labour and services, and the orchard had been struggling. 

The owners had been trying to sell for several years, but one of the challenges was making the operation work in such an isolated location. Labour was difficult to attract and retain, and getting orchard work completed at the right time was a constant challenge. 

My wife and I moved onto the property and lived there for a few years. It taught me a huge amount  not just about growing kiwifruit, but about working with local people, building teams and finding ways to get people willing to travel long distances to work there. We got the production back on track and the property eventually sold in 2021. 

After that I moved back to Tauranga and joined a post-harvest company as a senior orchard manager, where I was responsible for around 70 hectares. Over the last three years I've also been building Top OGR and independently managing and consulting on growers' orchards. 

Yes. I was here through the Psa period, and I still remember the pain in growers’ eyes watching vines die so quickly. Vines were being pulled out and burned, some growers were trying to sell and get out, and some orchards changed hands very cheaply because people couldn't see a future in them. 

It affected orchard workers too. With orchards being cut out or shut down, there was less work available and the seasonal gaps became much longer. I was fairly new to the industry then, so it showed me very early how quickly conditions can change in horticulture. 

Covid was another major lesson, particularly around people. Everyone faced labour pressure, but I noticed growers and managers who had already built strong relationships with their workers and contractors generally had stronger teams around them and managed the difficult period better. 

Then we went through the major fruit-quality challenges around 2021–22, when the industry faced significant quality claims in overseas markets. That reinforced for me that our job doesn't finish when we produce the crop or when the fruit leaves the orchard. 

Quality starts in the orchard. Picking practices matter — something as simple as bruising fruit at harvest can become a much bigger problem after weeks in storage. The same applies to fruit from compromised or unhealthy vines. If we identify those vines early, sometimes that fruit needs to be managed separately rather than allowing a small problem to affect good fruit later in the supply chain. 

Ultimately we're not only protecting one grower's crop. Every tray that reaches the customer represents New Zealand kiwifruit. Protecting that quality protects the New Zealand brand, and a strong brand ultimately comes back to growers through stronger and more sustainable returns. 

All of those experiences taught me that orchard management is much bigger than growing the highest number of trays. It's plants, people, quality, timing and ultimately the return to the grower.”

Top OGR provides independent kiwifruit orchard management and consultancy. We can take responsibility for the full management of an orchard, or work alongside a grower who wants to remain hands-on but needs technical support and another experienced set of eyes. 

Full management covers the whole growing cycle — planning the season, canopy and crop management, organising and supervising labour and contractors, monitoring plant health, coordinating spray and nutrition programmes, harvest preparation, compliance and keeping the grower informed about what is happening and why. 

Consultancy is more flexible. Sometimes a grower is doing most things themselves but wants someone to regularly walk the orchard with them, identify where production or quality is being lost and help build a practical plan around it. 

One important part of Top OGR is that we're independent. We're not tied to one post-harvest company, so the focus is on what I believe is right for that orchard and the grower's return. 

And the name really explains the goal — OGR is Orchard Gate Return. I'm not interested in chasing production numbers just so we can say we grew a massive crop. Yield, Class 1 packout, fruit quality, cost and sustainability of the vines all have to come together. Ultimately the grower needs a strong return.

One of my strongest skills is picking up small details quickly things that can look insignificant today but become a much bigger problem one or two seasons later. 

A simple example is grafting tape left behind on a graft. It might only take a minute to remove, but if nobody notices it, as the vine grows that tape can restrict the plant and eventually damage or even kill something we've spent several seasons establishing. 

I'm similar with canopy work. When I walk into a bay, I tend to quickly see mistakes, opportunities or things that could be improved — cane selection, structure, weak plants, overcrowding, poor replacement planning or work that hasn't quite been executed correctly. 

I think that comes from spending so many years physically working with vines. Before I managed people doing these jobs, I spent years doing the jobs myself. 

My strength isn't just finding what's wrong. It's asking: if we leave this alone, what will it look like in two or three seasons? And if we fix it now, what could this part of the orchard become? 

One of the biggest challenges I see isn't always technical — it's emotional attachment to your own orchard. And I completely understand it. When you've planted a vine, looked after it for years and watched it produce fruit, making a hard decision about it isn't easy. 

Sometimes that means carrying too much fruit because it's difficult to drop something you've spent all season growing. Or keeping a compromised plant for another year even though its fruit is creating maturity or quality variability at harvest. You keep thinking, ‘maybe she'll be right.’ 

That classic Kiwi ‘she’ll be right’ attitude is great in plenty of situations, but sometimes in orchard management it can cost you. Small compromises can keep accumulating until eventually you're forced into a much bigger decision. 

That's where an independent set of eyes can be valuable. I don't have the same emotional attachment to that individual vine or that fruit. I can look at it and ask: what is this costing the orchard, what risk is it creating, and what is the best decision for the next three or five years — not just today? 

Sometimes good orchard management is knowing what to grow. Sometimes it's having the courage to cut something off. 

When I first come onto a new property, I like to spend a few hours there by myself just getting to know it. Walking, looking, stopping and thinking. I don't want to rush that first assessment. 

A fresh set of eyes can be valuable because I'm seeing the orchard without being influenced by what has always been done there. I look at the vines, canopy, variability between rows and bays, plant health and anything that makes me stop and ask why. 

After that I sit down with the grower and discuss what I've seen. Then I want their side of the story — previous production and quality records, orchard history, what they've tried before, what has worked, what hasn't and what challenges they've been dealing with. 

The grower's knowledge of their own property is really important. I'm bringing a fresh set of eyes, but they may have 10, 20 or 30 years of history with that land. Put those two things together and you start getting a much clearer picture. 

Only then do I want to start talking about what we should change and where the biggest opportunities might be. 

Very involved. That's actually the part of the job I love most. I like starting my day in the orchard, looking at vines and seeing what's happening on the ground before getting caught up in everything else. 

I'm moving between properties throughout the day — walking blocks, checking work, looking at plant response, talking with growers, staff and contractors, and making decisions as things develop. 

I don't want to manage an orchard only through reports, photos or from behind a desk. There is definitely paperwork and compliance that has to be done, but for me the real information is out in the orchard. 

Things can change quickly during the growing season. Being physically present means I can pick something up early, make an adjustment and follow through to see whether it's actually worked. 

For me, being in the field isn't something I have to make time for around management — it is a big part of management.

Probably the biggest difference is simple — the same person who walks your orchard is the same person you call on the phone. That person is Gill. 

That's actually one of the best pieces of feedback I've had from growers. They know who is responsible and who to talk to. They don't have to go through different departments or several people trying to find the person who knows their orchard or can make the decision. 

If a grower calls me about something, I've normally been on that property myself. I know the vines we're talking about, I know the history behind the decision and I can give them an answer or go and look at it. 

Being smaller also lets us stay flexible. Decisions don't need to travel through several layers before something happens on the ground. 

I'm not saying larger companies don't have good people — many do. It's simply a different model. With Top OGR, the grower has a direct relationship with the person managing their orchard. 

My philosophy is that if you're responsible for managing a kiwifruit orchard, you need to know that property properly — not just know kiwifruit generally. 

You should know your plants. You should know where the weak areas are, where the soil changes, where the wet or dry spots are, which vines behave differently and where you've had problems in previous seasons. 

Technical knowledge and plant physiology are important — I've invested a lot of time learning that side — but you can't just take something from a textbook and apply it across every hectare expecting the same result. 

Every property has its own character. Even within one orchard, different rows or bays can respond differently. The theory gives you the foundation, but knowing the property tells you how and where to use it. 

I don't like winging it, and I don't like managing by recipe. Know your plants, know your property, then make the decision.

For me, a thriving orchard starts with healthy plants. If the vines are healthy and well balanced, you have the foundation to produce consistently rather than chasing one exceptional crop and then paying for it the following season. 

But I look at thriving more broadly than just trays per hectare. It should be producing consistent returns for the grower, and it should also be a good environment for the people working there. 

I like seeing an orchard where the work is organised, the vines are enjoyable to work with, workers and contractors can do a good job and make a fair living, and the grower is getting a return that makes owning the orchard worthwhile. 

To me, the best orchard is one where everyone in that chain — from the person working underneath the vines through to the grower — can have good times and benefit from its success. 

If you're completely new to kiwifruit, my biggest advice would be to get an experienced person alongside you early — a good consultant, manager or grower — and learn while working with them. 

Kiwifruit can look straightforward from the outside, but there are a lot of decisions where timing and experience make a big difference. You can certainly learn by making your own mistakes, but some of those mistakes can cost you a season, and others can affect the orchard for several years. 

If you've bought a valuable orchard as an investment or side business, trying to learn everything through weekend work alone may not give you the return that orchard is capable of producing. A few hours of experienced advice at the right time can sometimes save a very expensive lesson. 

That doesn't mean handing everything over and not being involved. I'd actually encourage new owners to work alongside an experienced person, ask questions and understand why decisions are being made. Over time, you build your own knowledge without having to learn every lesson the hard way. 

There are a couple that stand out for different reasons. 

The first was the roughly 50-hectare Mohaka orchard in Hawke’s Bay. When I took the management role in 2018, the property had been on the market for several years. Production was struggling, labour was difficult because of the isolated location, and the owners were under financial pressure and wanted to get out of kiwifruit. 

My wife and I actually moved onto the property. A big part of turning it around wasn't one magic technical change — it was getting the whole operation functioning properly. Building relationships with local people, getting reliable labour onto the property, getting orchard work completed at the right time and getting production moving in the right direction again. 

After a few years the production was back on track and the property sold in 2021. That experience taught me that sometimes turning around an orchard means fixing the whole system around the vines, not just the vines themselves. 

More recently, one of my Top OGR growers was at the point where kiwifruit was becoming stressful. The returns weren't where they needed to be, managing the orchard was becoming difficult, and selling out of kiwifruit was seriously being considered. 

We've worked through the orchard over the last few seasons, making some difficult decisions around plants and canopy, improving consistency and lifting production and quality.The part I'm probably most proud of isn't just the numbers. The same grower who was thinking about getting out of kiwifruit is now looking for more kiwifruit property to add to what they already have. 

For me, that's a turnaround. We've changed not only the performance of the orchard, but the grower's confidence in the business. 

Yes. One Gold orchard we manage has gone from being a struggling property to becoming a showcase block for Top OGR. 

Production increased from 14,028 trays per hectare in 2024, to 16,033 in 2025, and then 21,315 trays per hectare in 2026. 

At the same time, Class 1 packout improved from 85% to 96.5%. 

For me, that's the important part — we didn't just grow more fruit, we improved the quality alongside the production. 

One of the best pieces of feedback is when growers tell me they can finally become a bit more hands-off and enjoy their life again. Go fishing, travel, spend time on other projects — knowing someone they trust is keeping an eye on the orchard. 

I sometimes describe it as getting the orchard working for the grower, rather than the grower constantly working for the orchard. 

They still know what's happening and remain part of the important decisions, but they don't need to carry every problem themselves every day. 

When someone who used to feel stressed by their orchard can step away, enjoy life and still see the orchard performing, that's pretty satisfying feedback for me. 

I actually enjoy the challenging seasons and challenging properties the most. That's where I learn the most. If everything is already perfect, there isn't as much to solve. 

I'm a big fan of innovation, research and trials. I like trying new ideas on a small scale, watching how the plants respond, measuring the result and then deciding whether it's something we can use more widely. Kiwifruit keeps evolving, so I want to keep evolving with it. 

I also really like the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga — looking after the land and leaving it in better condition for the future. For me, producing a strong crop and caring for the soil, plants and environment shouldn't be separate goals. 

That's probably what keeps the industry exciting for me: there's always another challenge, another idea to test and something new to learn. 

Probably the excitement that no two days are exactly the same. There is always something new to look at, something to improve, an idea to try or a problem to solve. 

The passion for kiwifruit is obviously a big part of it. Even after 16 years, I still enjoy walking into an orchard and looking at how the plants are responding. 

But I also really enjoy the people side of the industry. Kiwifruit brings together people from so many different countries, cultures and walks of life — growers, workers, contractors, researchers and industry people. I've worked alongside people from all sorts of backgrounds, and you learn something from them as well. 

So for me it's a mixture of plants, people and learning. There's normally something happening that makes me want to get out there and see what the day brings. 

I'd like to leave the kiwifruit industry in a slightly better place than I found it. That's probably the simplest way to put it. 

I want to be someone who left no stone unturned — kept questioning, learning, trying new things and looking for ways to improve how we grow. 

I'm not too worried about being remembered as the biggest manager or building the biggest company. I'd rather Gill and Top OGR be remembered for passion, good orchards, strong results and genuinely caring about the plants, the growers and the industry. 

If one day people can say, ‘He was passionate about kiwifruit and he made a difference,’ I'd be pretty happy with that legacy.