Australia’s leading horticulture growers and industry members have been recognised at the Hort Connections 2018 Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner, with around 1,300 attendees from every sector of Australian horticulture celebrating the significant contributions of the industry and its members.
Scott Samwell, Grower of the Year, with Ged Sippel from Syngenta
The Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner was held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday 20 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.
Rachel Mackenzie, winner of the Women in Horticulture award, with Steve Winter from Boomaroo Nurseries
“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, and 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.”
Chris McLoghlin, Young Grower of the Year, with Nick Koch from Corteva
The winners of the National Awards for Excellence were as follows:
- Scott Samwell, SA – Grower of the Year (proudly sponsored by Syngenta)
- Chris McLoghlin, Vic – Young Grower of the Year (proudly sponsored by Corteva AgriScience)
- East Gippsland Innovation Days, Vic – Community Stewardship (proudly sponsored by E. E. Muir & Sons)
- Terry Martella, WA – Innovation Partner (proudly sponsored by Boomaroo Nurseries)
- Jessica Page, Vic – Researcher of the Year (proudly sponsored by Bayer)
- Rachel Mackenzie, Qld – Women in Horticulture (proudly sponsored by Boomaroo Nurseries)
- Frank and Dianne Sciacca, Qld – Environmental Award (proudly sponsored by the Butler Market Gardens)
- Danyang Ying, Vic – Industry Impact (proudly sponsored by Visy)
- Dicky Bill Australia, Qld – NAB Agribusiness Exporter of the Year
The award for Exporter of the Year was presented at a separate event held during Hort Connections and was acknowledged at the Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner.