As Australasian agriculture faces mounting pressure to enhance operations, 25 agricultural professionals have been recognised for their innovative work towards improving the industry.As testament to their significant contributions, 25 growers and advisers across Australia and New Zealand have been selected as Regional Winners in the 2016 Syngenta Growth Awards.
The Syngenta Growth Awards champion growers and agricultural advisers who lead the way in their profession.
“There’s a pressure to do more with less and the top 25 are developing innovative ways to overcome challenges of modern day farming, such as water availability and pest management,” said Paul Luxton, Territory Head – Australasia, Syngenta.
“They are constantly challenging themselves to stay abreast of new technology and incorporating trial and research data into their everyday operations to increase productivity and sustainability.
“Across all 25 Regional Winners, we are seeing incredible efforts in research and development. Some are partnering with industry groups such as the GRDC to carry out field trials, while others are conducting their own, independent trials,” Mr Luxton said.
Regardless of what trials they conduct, there is a shared mentality amongst the top 25 that cooperation across the whole industry is imperative to remain viable.
“I’m inspired by the dedication shown by the Regional Winners and their sense of community and social responsibility,” Mr Luxton said.
The Syngenta Growth Awards are presented in partnership with Case IH and Fairfax Agricultural Media and have three nomination categories: Productivity; Sustainability; and Community and People.
The 25 Regional Winners have been chosen based on a rigorous selection criteria for each category and will advance to the next stage of the Awards.
“Selecting the top 25 was challenging because we had such a competitive pool of nominees. But we are proud to announce the Regional Winners and showcase their contributions towards increasing productivity, innovation and camaraderie throughout our industry,” Mr Luxton said.
Seven Australasian winners will be selected by an independent judging panel and announced at the Growth Awards gala dinner. The winners will then have the opportunity to participate in a study tour to the UK and Europe in 2017.
“The Awards have become a mainstay in the industry and as testament to this, we have an extremely high caliber of finalists moving into the next stage of the Awards,” Mr Luxton said.
The 25 Regional Winners are:
New South Wales
Graeme Callaghan: Coonamble, NSW: Adviser
Jim Cronin: Forbes, NSW: Adviser
Colin Arnold: Berrigan, NSW: Grower
Dean Salvestro: Benerembah, NSW: Grower
Queensland
Richard Daniel: Toowoomba, QLD: Adviser
Tommy Le: Glenore Grove, QLD: Adviser
Simon Chapman: Gumlu, QLD: Grower
Nigel Corish: Goondiwindi, QLD: Grower
Trevor & Wendy Cross: Bundaberg, QLD: Grower
South Australia
Peter Boutsalis: Prospect, SA: Adviser
Richard Porter: Newton, SA: Adviser
Naresh Singh: Virginia, SA: Grower
Randall Wilksch: Yeelanna, SA: Grower
Tasmania
Stuart Millwood: Launceston, TAS: Adviser
Victoria
James Dickson: Werribee South, VIC: Grower
Andrew McMahen: Manangatang, VIC: Adviser
Western Australia
David Cameron: Moora, WA: Adviser
Geoff Fosbery: Northam, WA: Adviser
Duc Nguyen: Carnarvon, WA: Grower
Michael Fels: Esperance, WA: Grower
Michael Nixon: North Plantations, WA: Grower
New Zealand
Howard Clarke: Gore, NZ: Adviser
Tayah Ryan: Katikati, NZ: Adviser
Allan Fong: Pukekohe, NZ: Grower
Craig Whiteside: Otago, NZ: Grower
This story was first published in Leading Agriculture magazine.