Growth Awards nominees announced

The Growth Awards are presented annually by Syngenta in partnership with Case IH and Fairfax Agricultural Media.

They aim to recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the industry across three award categories: Productivity; Sustainability; and Community and People.

Syngenta’s Australasian territory head, Paul Luxton, said he was is inspired by this year’s nominees.

“We see outstanding nominees each year, and this year is no exception,” he said.

“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.

Regional winners will be chosen based on a rigorous selection criteria for each category, and announced in late October.

The Australasian winners will then be selected by an independent judging panel.

The 2016 winners will be 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.

Last year’s winners from WA, South Australia, NSW, Queensland and NZ have just returned from their study tour which included visits to Syngenta’s massive Jealott’s Hill research centre, a major UK field day and touring a Case IH manufacturing plant in Germany.

This year’s nominees include 12 each from NSW and Queensland, nine from SA, seven from Victoria, eight from WA, two from Tasmania and seven from NZ.

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.