Rabobank launches inaugural HortPathways leadership programme

Twenty-eight emerging leaders from the horticulture sector recently attended the inaugural HortPathways programme in Papamoa, New Zealand. Sponsored by the Rabo Community Fund, the event provided training at no cost to participants.

The programme focused on professional development topics including communication skills, succession planning, people management, personality profiling, and governance. It is a specialized spin-off of Rabobank’s AgPathways programme, which has been running since 2015 to support young farmers.

Participants engaged with industry experts and heard personal accounts from local growers. These sessions included a dairy farmer discussing the impacts of weather events and milk price fluctuations, and a kiwifruit orchardist sharing the challenges of purchasing an orchard at age 29. Attendees noted the value of sessions on personality testing and goal setting for improving interpersonal communication within the industry.