Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman says horticulture's importance as a food supplier and export earner is being lost on government officials as blocks of prime growing land in south Auckland are carved up for housing.

Chapman, who has just completed his first 90 days in the role, said in his first week the organisation had a queue of people from various government departments visiting HortNZ who did not understand horticulture. "I was absolutely appalled at the lack of knowledge, understanding and empathy from government servants about what horticulture means.

"One of my key goals is to change that dramatically," Chapman said at the Young Vegetable Grower of the Year awards dinner in Christchurch.

HortNZ plans to take up with the Ministry of Primary Industries the matter of urban spread and the increase of lifestyle blocks and the loss of high value horticultural land.

"New Zealand is probably the only civilised country in the world that does not have a policy for food supply and food security. There is this presumption in Government that there will always be vegetables on the table; there will always be fruit.

"They have forgotten what they are doing around Auckland. For example, the Auckland City Council wants to put another 50,000 houses in Pukekohe, taking away key vegetable growing land. If that land is lost, New Zealand will have to import vegetables for domestic consumption."

HortNZ has also spent millions of dollars and has a team of staff so growers can have access to water at a reasonable cost. "Again, people only think of pastoral and dairy, but not horticulture."

A survey of about 300 growers by HortNZ showed that 30 per cent who responded were 65 years and over and 50 per cent between 45 and 65 years. "So we have a real issue in terms of succession." According to a MPI report last year, the horticulture industry requires an additional 26,000 people by 2025.

The Young Vegetable Grower was won by Andrew Hutchinson from Pukekohe, who said he found horticulture a rewarding and challenging industry. Hutchinson, 28, works at AS Wilcox & Sons as a technical advisor for the company's potato supply team.

"In 2006, I was about to start studying at Massey University and got a job at a fish factory. It was cold and smelt, but the biggest problem was boredom and I never wanted to work under those conditions again," said Hutchinson.

"In the last five years I have been in the vegetable industry I have never been bored. Instead I look at the clock and wonder where the day has gone. As we are working with nature, things are never perfect and there are always new challenges."

Hutchinson's prize includes a professional development tour to Australia to learn about its horticulture industry valued at $2500, a cash prize of $1500 and an all-expenses paid trip to compete for the national Young Grower of the Year title in July.

Runner-up was the youngest competitor in the history of the competition, Lincoln Roper (16) from Roper & Son in Canterbury. Pukekohe grower Amrik Singh, 19, from Purewal Growers came third.

The day-long competition in Christchurch saw competitors battle it out in a series of practical and theoretical challenges designed to test the skills needed to run a successful vegetable growing business.

HortNZ competition manager Kirsty de Jong said the industry was increasingly attracting young university-qualified people like Hutchinson, who completed a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in horticulture. "We need these people to help horticulture businesses increase yield and protect crops from disease."