Australia’s leading horticulture growers and industry members have been recognised at the Hort Connections 2019 National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner, with over 1,400 attendees from every sector of Australian horticulture celebrating the significant contributions of the industry and its members.

The National Awards for Excellence was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 26 June and provided the opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and determination of the industry’s leading growers, researchers and suppliers. The awards cover a range of areas in horticulture, including recognising outstanding growers in multiple categories, as well as researchers, innovative agribusinesses and the industry’s leading exporters.

“The National Awards for Excellence are a rare chance for us to come together to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our leading growers and industry members, and highlight the great work that our industry undertakes in feeding the entire nation,” said AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside.

“In our effort to grow the value of Australian agriculture to $100 billion by 2030, the horticulture industry will be vital to help realise this ambitious goal. It is through the innovation and success of our industry leaders that we will be able to help boost the profile and value of the Australian horticulture industry.

“Everyone who was nominated for an award this year has demonstrated their passion and commitment to the industry and has made a valuable contribution to its ongoing growth and success. I’d like to congratulate every individual and business who won an award at this year’s National Awards for Excellence and thank them for their continued dedication to our industry.”

The winners of the Hort Connections 2019 National Awards for Excellence were as follows:

• Jason Shields, Vic – Syngenta Grower of the Year
• Daniel Hoffmann, SA – Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year
• Ian Muir, Vic – AUSVEG Lifetime Achievement Award
• Foodbank Australia – E. E. Muir & Sons Community Stewardship Award
• Mark Pye, SA – Innovation Partner
• Dr Cherie Gambley, Qld – Bayer Researcher of the Year
• Carmel Ingram, Vic – Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture Award
• Michael Evans, Vic – Butler Market Gardens Environmental Award
• Darren and Mark Schreurs, Vic – Visy Industry Impact Award
• Harvest Moon, Tas – Exporter of the Year

The National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner was the capstone event of Hort Connections 2019, the premier event in Australian horticulture. Around 3,500 local and international delegates converged for the three-day event, which featured a trade show with around 200 local and global supply chain partners and presentations from the industry’s leading thinkers.

For photographs of the individual award winners or to request more information or an interview with award winners, please contact the AUSVEG media representative below.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACT: Shaun Lindhe, AUSVEG National Manager – Communications
Phone: 03 9882 0277, Mobile: 0405 977 789, Email: shaun.lindhe@ausveg.com.au