Western Australian vegetable growers and service providers were among the big winners at Saturday night?s vegetable and potato industry National Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner.

Mr Jim Trandos from Wanneroo in WA was awarded the prestigious Grower of the Year Award sponsored by Syngenta for being innovative, challenging convention and implementing more efficient on-farm practices.

AUSVEG Communications Manager, Hugh Tobin, said that Mr Trandos had been a pioneer for new production areas in Broome and had implemented a number of significant production and marketing changes in his business.

“Mr Trandos is a deserving winner of this award, which recognises the outstanding contribution he has made to the industry, but in particular, the more recent changes he has made to his own business to make it more productive,” Mr Tobin said.

The Grower of the Year Award is presented to a vegetable/potato grower that is outstanding across all aspects of vegetable production, including growing, environmental management, staff management and product quality.

Mr Trandos has made a sizeable contribution to the vegetable industry over many years. He is a former Board member of AUSVEG and of state industry body vegetablesWA.

AUSVEG is the national peak industry body representing 9000 vegetable and potato growers around Australia.
Well known industry personality, Mr Jim Turley, Executive Officer of vegetablesWA, was also recognised for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

Mr Turley was awarded the Industry Recognition Award sponsored by DuPont for his hard work and dedication to promoting growers? interests in Western Australia.

“As Executive Officer with vegetablesWA, Mr Turley has been a staunch advocate for vegetable and potato growers interests in WA for many years and is very deserving winner of this honour,” Mr Tobin said.

Completing the “hat trick” for Western Australia, the Premier’s Award (QLD) was won by Mr David Anderson from Shoalwater in WA. Mr Anderson is a fourth generation potato and vegetable grower and a former Chairman of AUSVEG and vegetablesWA.

More than 600 delegates attended the AUSVEG National Convention, Trade Show and National Awards for Excellence from May 27-30 at Jupiters Hotel-Casino on the Gold Coast.

The Gala Awards were hosted by AFL great Robert “Dipper” DiPierdomenico and Jessica van Vonderen from the ABC’s Stateline program in Queensland. For more information or photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Hugh Tobin from AUSVEG or Georgia Thomas from vegetablesWA.

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACTS: Hugh Tobin, Communications Manager, AUSVEG
Ph: (03) 9822 0388, Mob: 0431 939 920, Email: hugh.tobin@ausveg.com.au

Georgia Thomas, Program Manager, vegetablesWA
Ph: (08) 9481 0834, Mob: 0431 444 918, Email: programmgr@vegetableswa.com.au