Mr Durand (28), the Clyde and Roxburgh sector manager of Cherri Global, won the title at a ceremony in Bannockburn recently.
He will compete at the national final in Pukekohe on October 4 and 5.
Originally from France, Mr Durand came to New Zealand as a backpacker and picked fruit in Teviot Valley.
He moved to Clyde to work for Cherri Global and has been its Clyde-Roxburgh sector manager since 2017, overseeing a 50ha block of cherries.
"I put in a lot of study in the lead-up to the competition, because you just don’t know what you’re going to get. Having a strong mathematics background really helped me in the irrigation section."
He also entered the competition last year and enjoyed the experience.
"It was fun. The competition was different this year with different questions. I learnt a lot about myself, and I met plenty of people, who I wouldn’t have spoken to otherwise."
He won six out of the seven technical modules.
The competition speech was the most challenging part of the event, he said.
Central Otago Growers’ Association chairman Kris Robb said he was proud of all the contestants.
"I’m also appreciative of all the work that took place in the background to this significant industry event."
Event organiser Mariette Morkel, of Horticentre, said the five contestants in the annual competition completed modules including irrigation, first aid, tractor and machinery work, pest and disease, spraying and weed management and biosecurity.
"The wind and rain was a bit of hassle on the day, and made setting up the course challenging but it was great to see some new contestants entering this year, and we’re stoked with how it all went."
