HortNZ chief executive Nadine Tunley said the 19 people selected for the programme demonstrated leadership and a willingness to assume responsibility in grower or industry matters.
"The programme is designed for potential and current leaders in the fruit and vegetable industry."
Mr Officer, 30, manages up to 150 staff on Dunstan Hills, a 200ha stonefruit orchard in Earnscleugh.
He said he was a "little bit surprised" by his selection due to the number of people applying for the programme.
The programme would hopefully help him define his leadership style.
Part of the programme included a five-day course at T&G Global in Auckland last week, where participants developed their leadership plans.
Managing orchard staff, many of whom were from different countries, to work and live together harmoniously could be challenging, but was possible.
"A lot of people have different expectations in the way they operate."
The programme would continue for another week in Wellington in October.
The stonefruit grown on Dunstan Hills were mostly cherries and apricots and "a little bit of peaches and nectarines on the side".
Mr Officer was born in Winton. His family moved around for his father’s work as a sheep and beef farmer.
After leaving school, he studied accounting at the University of Otago.
"I did it because I was good at it at high school."
After finishing his study, he worked pruning trees on Dunstan Hills for six months to save for his OE.
Overseas, he worked as an auditor for Sheraton Hotels in London for six months.
"I decided accounting was no good."
A job working indoors behind a desk made him "fidgety".
"The worst day on the orchard would beat the best day in an office."
However, his accounting skills now come in handy in his role as the treasurer of the Central Otago Fruit Growers Association.
When he returned home in the summer of 2016 his younger brother Josh was working at Dunstan Hills.
"I turned up and he left for a contract milking job."
On returning home, he worked in the orchard as a cherry harvest supervisor and had been orchard manager since 2021.
"No season is the same, so I’m continually learning as new things get thrown at you."
The orchard was quiet at the moment, apricot trees were slowly "turning pink" and all of the staff were on holiday.
This week he is in Vanuatu visiting the orchard workers employed on the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.
"They are a good secure source of labour — they are real good guys."
The trip was a way to meet their families and gain a better understanding of how the RSA workers operate before they start returning to the orchard from early October.
Frost fighting and spray programmes were expected to start soon.
His favourite part of the season was fruit picking.
"You can actually see something tangible — I really, really enjoy that part of the job because you do all that work during the winter and at the harvest you can see the fruit in the bucket and it brings me joy."
A future plan was to lease a block of cherry trees in Central Otago and "have a go myself".
"A few blocks have come up but they just haven’t been right — it will happen."
