Career story

Horticultural contractor

Working as a horticultural contractor has plenty of benefits, according to Mat Johnson. He likes the lifestyle, being able to determine how much he earns and working with his wife, Kris. Plus, he gets to meet a variety of people.

"Our picking gangs are made up of 50:50 Kiwis and backpackers, which is fantastic. You know, it is really neat meeting all these people. I imagine there will be some lifelong friendships that will develop as a result, especially between them and our kids."

Mat and Kris organise teams of people to work on contract for avocado and kiwifruit growers. The hours of work can vary, with 12-hour days likely during the busiest times in summer and autumn.

"There are times when you are flat-out and other times when you are relaxed. During the harvest we work solidly with our pickers. We prune kiwifruit vines in winter and I spend a lot of time then with the pruners."

Mat has worked in kiwifruit all his life and says his experience is invaluable. "A lot of what I have learned has been through experience. I started at 17 and I learned everything from the bottom up. It's been a really good way to learn because you understand the full chain."

Mat tends to keep an eye on how things are running overall - checking in with the supervisors he employs and meeting with the growers to whom he contracts. "A lot of what I do is probably relationship work now. I will drop in on growers; I'd see one to two growers per day at least."

He says he enjoys the constant change in the kiwifruit industry. "The challenge keeps you focused. There is plenty of opportunity. I'm usually going to a grower and saying 'How about we have a go at this?'. There is a lot of innovation that we're picking up and trying to drive our growers to use."