South Australian (SA) vegetables continue to shine on the national stage after taking home two awards at the prestigious 2013 AUSVEG National Awards for Excellence, held tonight at Jupiters Gold Coast.

In a coup for the local industry, SA took home two awards – the Innovative Marketing Award and the Researcher of the Year Award.

AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australia’s 9,000 vegetable and potato growers.
This year is the second year that an SA industry member has won the Central Markets Association of Australia Innovative Marketing Award, with the Adelaide Produce Markets winning the award for its ‘Burst of Freshness’ campaign. Local potato success story, the Mitolo Group, took home the spoils in 2011. 
The ‘Burst of Freshness’ campaign works in partnership with the whole horticultural supply chain to encourage consumers to eat more vegetables through initiatives such as healthy recipe guides delivered through independent retailers. 
AUSVEG Chairman, John Brent, said the award was well-earned, thanks in part to the important work the Adelaide Produce Markets had invested to promote the value of fresh produce in the community.
“In an industry which features intense pressure to compete on volume and price, it is heartening to see that the Adelaide Produce Market is working to increase consumer perceptions of the value of Australian-grown fresh produce,” said Mr Brent.
“A challenging domestic trading environment means that the Australian vegetable industry will need to continuously improve the ways in which it promotes itself to consumers, and the ‘Burst of Freshness’ campaign has a central role to play,” said Mr Brent. 
In a milestone year for the SA industry, local researcher Dr Kathy Ophel Keller received the Researcher of the Year Award, sponsored by Bayer CropScience. 
Dr Ophel Keller was recognised for her cutting edge soil diagnostics research through the Australian Potato Research Program – Phase 2 (APRP2), which has been widely praised as applicable to farms across Australia. Dr Ophel Keller was selected as this year’s winner, not only for her research, but willingness to communicate her research with growers through the highly successful AUSVEG-run Potato Extension Program.
“Dr Ophel Keller has set a high standard in delivering relevant, practical and useful research for the benefit of Australian potato growers.”
“Central to Dr Ophel Keller’s selection was her commitment to communicating her research to growers throughout Australia, to ensure that any benefits resulting from her work can be capitalised on within the industry,” said Mr Brent.
For photographs, or to request an interview with award winners, please make contact with the AUSVEG representative below.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: William Churchill, AUSVEG Communications and Public Affairs Manager
T: 03 9822 0388 I M: 0411 166 748 I E: william.churchill@ausveg.com.au