Adelaide, South Australia – Australia’s leading vegetable and potato growers and industry members have been recognised at the Hort Connections 2017 Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner, with around 1,100 attendees from every sector of Australian horticulture celebrating the significant contributions of the industry and its members.

The Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner, which was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday 17 May, provided the opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and determination of the industry’s leading growers, researchers and suppliers.

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

“Everyone who was nominated for an award this year has demonstrated their 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 Awards for Excellence and thank them for their continued dedication to our industry.”

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

  • Anthony Staatz, Qld – Grower of the Year (proudly sponsored by Syngenta)
  • Daniel Adams, Vic – Young Grower of the Year (proudly sponsored by Dow AgroSciences)
  • Michael Tran, Vic – Community Stewardship (proudly sponsored by DuPont)
  • Rijk Zwaan, Vic – Innovation Partner (proudly sponsored by Boomaroo Nurseries)
  • Matthew Stein, SA – Researcher of the Year (proudly sponsored by Bayer)
  • Lisa Brassington, Vic – Women in Horticulture (proudly sponsored by Steritech)
  • Hills Transplants, Tas – Environmental Award (proudly sponsored by the Butler Market Gardens)
  • Sundrop Farms, SA – Industry Impact (proudly sponsored by Visy)
  • Sumich, WA – NAB Agribusiness Exporter of the Year

The Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner was the capstone event of Hort Connections 2017, the premier event in Australian horticulture. Over 2,500 local and international delegates converged for the three-day event, which featured a trade show with over 200 local and global supply chain partners and presentations from the industry’s leading thinkers.

Awards for Women in Horticulture, Industry Impact, Exporter of the Year and the Environmental Award were presented at separate events held during Hort Connections and were acknowledged at the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner.

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