Currently in its third year, the awards pay tribute to champion growers and agricultural advisers who lead the way in their profession. 

“Today 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,” Syngenta’s Australasia Territory head Paul Luxton said.

“They are constantly challenging themselves to stay abreast of new technology and incorporating the latest 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.”

Luxton said there was a shared mentality amongst the top 25 that cooperation across the whole industry is imperative to remain viable. 

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 were chosen based on a rigorous selection criteria for each category and will now advance to the next stage of the Awards.

Luxton said selecting the top 25 was challenging due to the 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,” Luxton said.

Seven Australasian winners will be selected by an independent judging panel and announced at the Growth Awards gala dinner in Sydney on December 1. 

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,” 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