2016 Growth Awards nominees announced
- 57 agriculture professionals from across Australia and New Zealand have been named nominees for the 2016 Growth Awards
- The nominees include growers, agronomists, researchers and industry leaders
- The nominees will be shortlisted and regional winners announced in late October
- Australasian winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 1 December
From Carnarvon in Western Australia to Griffith in New South Wales and across the Tasman to Katikati in New Zealand, 57 leading agribusiness professionals have been named nominees for the 2016 Syngenta Growth Awards.
The Growth Awards are presented by Syngenta in partnership with Case IH and Fairfax Agricultural Media. They aim to recognise leading agriculture professionals, highlighting their outstanding contributions to the industry across three award categories: Productivity; Sustainability; and Community and People.
Territory Head – Australasia for Syngenta, Paul Luxton, says he is inspired by this year’s nominees.
“We see outstanding nominees each year, and this year is no exception. We’ve received an extremely high calibre of nominations from agriculture professionals who are all working to improve not only their own businesses, but the industry as a whole,” he says.
“There’s a strong theme of giving back throughout the nominee list this year, with some dedicating their own personal time to mentor the next generation. It’s uplifting knowing that so many agriculture professionals are working with graduates to secure the future of our industry.”
“We have also seen a number of entrants who are doing great work in researching, developing and implementing new productivity measures – both on farm and in business operations, as well as agronomists who go above and beyond to ensure the wellbeing of their clients.”
From the pool of 57 nominations, the first round of judging in August will produce the regional finalists. Following this, regional winners will be chosen based on a rigorous selection criteria for each category, and announced in late October. Australasian winners will then be selected by an independent judging panel.
The winners will be announced at the Growth Awards gala dinner in Sydney on 1 December 2016. The winners will then have the opportunity to participate in a study tour to the UK and Europe in 2017.
“The purpose of these awards is to recognise those professionals who are making a great contribution to our industry through leadership, best practice and innovation, and the nominees are certainly doing this.”
New Zealand nominees:
- Craig Whiteside, Clinton
- Howard Clarke, Gore
- Mike Gordon, Pukekohe
- Nick Williams, Ashburton
- Raymond Bowan, Geraldine
- Tayah Ryan, Katikati
- Allan Fong, Pukekohe
The Growth Awards support the goals of Syngenta’s Good Growth Plan, which tackles the challenges of producing more with less, protecting the viability of farmland and promoting prosperous rural communities. Under the plan, Syngenta has made six specific commitments designed to increase crop productivity, improve land fertility, enhance biodioversity, empower smallholders, train farm workers and strive for fair labour conditions across the entire supply chain.
For more information visit: www.syngenta.co.nz/the-growth-awards
