Leading lights of the Australian horticulture industry have been recognised at the Horticulture Awards for Excellence 2024 at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner in June.

The annual awards saw ten leading growers and industry members acknowledged for exceptional achievements and innovations across multiple categories.

AUSVEG CEO Michael Coote said each of the winners have made major contributions to the Australian horticulture industry and provide clear examples of the innovation and dedication. 

“For the leadership and value they bring to the Australian horticulture industry, I thank and congratulate all of our winners, as well as the strong field of nominees in this year’s awards.”

 Horticulture Awards for Excellence 2024 winners

• Syngenta Grower of the Year: Rocky Lamattina and Sons - VIC
• Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year: Zeke Zalsman, Zaldeesh Farms - WA
• Bayer Researcher of the Year: Doris Blaesing, RMCG - VIC
• Butler Market Gardens Environmental and Sustainability: End Food Waste, Australian Banana Growers Council and Melons Australia - National
• UPL Tech & Innovation: RapidAim - QLD
• Muirs Community Stewardship Award: Veg Education - VIC
• Hort Innovation Exporter of the Year Award: Nutrano Produce Group - NSW
• Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture: Bree Watson, Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers - QLD
• VISY Industry Impact: Ian Layden (Gatton Smart Farm Ag Tech Showcase), QDAF – QLD
• Seeka Marketer of the Year Award: Perfection Fresh - NSW

Winner profiles

Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year

Zeke Zalsman - Zaldeesh Farms – WA

Zeke Zalsman is the first grower in the country to commercially and independently adopt heat pump technology for greenhouse heating, championing the first ever successfully funded Hort Innovation VegNET  Innovation Fund project.

He took on great risk to his business to the benefit of industry, with the goal of attracting national attention to heat pump technology with the aim of increasing the accessibility of a technology capable of future-proofing protected cropping businesses against rising costs, carbon footprint and threats to social licence.

Bayer Researcher of the Year

Doris Blaesing - RMCG – VIC

Doris Blaesing works for national agricultural and environmental consultancy RMCG and has been a longstanding contributor and supporter of the SA horticultural industry. She is a strong ongoing resource for industry leaders and agronomists in the field of soil management, biosecurity and certification, and contributes regularly to industry programs in South Australia.

She was instrumental in supporting industry to receive funding for a new FertSmart project which will work with industry to trial new fertiliser and organic amendments in industry and quantify their benefit.

She is heavily relied on by industry to manage issues around certification and is known for her willingness to give her time for free to assist with industry issues. This award recognises her commitment to industry over the years.

Butler Market Gardens Environmental & Sustainability

End Food Waste Australia, Australian Banana Grower's Council and Melons Australia – SA

The Banana and Melon Food Waste Action Plans are dedicated to sustainable practices that actively help Australia reduce the 3 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables wasted annually. This benefits people, the planet and industry profitability.

These plans outline priority actions to prevent food waste occurring initially, repurpose waste to new resources, increase food donation and enable policy and other initiatives to streamline reduction activities. The award winners demonstrate true sustainability leadership via collaboration.

UPL Tech & Innovation

RapidAIM – QLD

RapidAIM is a bio-digital, real-time detection and crop protection system for pests posing significant problems to fruit, vegetable and nut producers. Since becoming commercial, the team at RapidAIM have undertaken significant additional research, field trials and grower engagement which has contributed to the development or refinement of new RapidAIM products - RapidFLY, RapidMEGA, RapidFAW, and RapidMOTH. The technology has a 98 percent accuracy rate and benefits multiple horticulture crops.

Muirs Community Stewardship Award

VEG Education – VIC

VEG Education pioneers innovation in horticulture education and community engagement. Their Fresh Safe Program sets new safety standards, while initiatives like Farm Gate and Veg Influencer promote agricultural awareness and healthier communities. Through strategic partnerships and innovative platforms, VEG Education exemplifies excellence in industry impact and community stewardship, shaping a sustainable future for the horticulture sector.

Hort Innovation Exporter of the Year Award

Nutrano Produce Group – NSW

Established in 2016, Nutrano is one of Australia's leading produce companies, founded on a deep respect for their people, growers and the communities in which they operate in. The Nutrano farming footprint spans over 2,000ha of farms and facilities in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory, with more than 300 dedicated employees – increasing to 600 during peak season.

The vertically integrated grower’s core categories are citrus, tropical fruits and blueberries. Nutrano supplies both the domestic and international markets, providing premium fresh produce with export certification to key international markets including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, New Zealand, USA, and Canada.

Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture

Bree Watson - Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers – QLD

Bree Watson has been a local leader and mentor for over 14 years, and was appointed the first female chair of the Queensland Horticulture Council. She is sought out to speak at motivational events, was declared Bundaberg’s No.1 most influential person in 2023, has coauthored academic papers and featured in many national publications. She was instrumental in advocating for the reinstatement of Paradise Dam, and through several appearances on Sky News and other media worked tirelessly so Australians knew the value of water security for the farming sector.

VISY Industry Impact

Ian Layden - The Gatton Smart Farm AgTech Showcase – QLD

In 2023, Ian Layden led the Gatton Smart Farm in the delivery of a ground-breaking showcase of ag technology with a program of live field AgTech demonstrations on a scale unseen before in Australia.

The Gatton AgTech Showcase attracted 700 visitors, including 220 growers, to see advanced field tech like FarmDroid’s autonomous seeder & weeder and Stout’s Smart Cultivator. It was the first event in Australia to bring domestic and international AgTech companies together for the horticulture sector. The Showcase has set a new standard for AgTech field days in this country.