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 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.

Hort Connections will return in 2020, heading to Brisbane in June.