Young Grower of the Year Luca Farmer (left) from Farmer Group presented by Nicholas Koch from Corteva Agriscience.
Australian horticulture has celebrated outstanding contributions to the industry at the 2026 Horticulture Awards for Excellence held at the Hort Connections 2026 Gala Dinner in Adelaide.
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Twelve winning growers, businesses, researchers and industry innovators have been recognised on the night for their inspiring achievements in horticulture, across production, research, innovation, community contribution, marketing and sustainability.
The awards also recognised the importance of family businesses in the sector, as well as the crucial contributions of women in horticulture and the next generation of young growers.
Grower of the Year Award Steve Marafiote from Sundrop Farms was unable to attend and the award was accepted on his behalf by Mark McAra (left) an David Van-Ryswyk from Syngenta.
Exporter of the Year Francis Tedesco from Center West Exports in WA (right), presented by Julie Bird, chair of Hort Innovation. Picture credit AUSVEG.
AusVeg ceo Michael Coote congratulated this year’s award winners who have been selected from a full field of more than 100 worthy nominees across 12 award categories in a closely run race.
“The depth and breadth of talent and inspiring contributions on display among all award winners and nominees deserves to be recognised and celebrated as another reminder of what makes our horticulture industry so great.”
Managing director of the International Fresh Produce Association, Australia-New Zealand (IFPA ANZ) Belinda Wilson said connecting with each other and hearing first-hand about the innovation, leadership and passion of our fresh produce supply chain has energised all of us at Hort Connections.
“If you can do better, good is not enough, and we’ve seen this week that we are ready as a united industry to rise to that challenge.
“Congratulations not only to the award winners, but to all of our finalists for their drive and guidance creating a prosperous future for our industry.”
Grower of the yearSteve Marafiote, Sundrop Farms
Steve Marafiote is an experienced horticultural industry senior executive having held positions across a number of major wholesale and growing operations. As chief executive officer and co-owner of Sundrop Farms, he has overseen the business’s growth to be one of Australia’s major suppliers of greenhouse lines including truss and specialty produce. Steve has sat on a number of prominent advisory boards and at an industry and government level, he is highly regarded and valued for his views on the protected cropping sector’s ongoing development in South Australia.
Young grower of the year Luca Farmer, Farmer Group
As a fourth-generation grower, Luca Farmer, the farm manager at Farmer Group, is already a key driver of the business. Farmer by name, and farmer by nature, Luca is hands-on in every aspect of the operation from preparing land for planting to operating machinery and overseeing harvest, ensuring each crop meets the highest standards. Established in 1956, Farmer Group is one of Australia’s largest potato growers, and also oversees an almond orchard and livestock operations. Luca has become involved in various industry development activities in recent years, with the objective of driving the industry, and the Farmer Group’s business, forward into the future.
Researcher of the yearDr Sukhvinder Pal (SP) SinghNSW DPI and RD
Dr Sukhvinder Pal (SP) Singh is a senior research scientist internationally renowned for his high-impact food safety research in the horticulture sector. He excels at translating scientific research into practical, adoption-ready solutions, combining knowledge of science with an understanding of grower challenges. His flagship initiatives, including Safe Leafy Veg and Safe Melons, are recognised for delivering data-based food safety risk mitigation practices across production and supply chains and continue to strengthen industry resilience.
Grower of the year Craig Van Rooyen
Craig Van Rooyen is a progressive and innovative grower based in Bundaberg, Queensland. Craig is considered an ‘early adopter’ and actively works with tertiary institutions, government agencies, and industry stakeholders to trial new technology and innovation. Craig also extends his ‘can do’ approach to the supply chain, boasting exceptional export achievements including export history by shipping the first-ever consignment of lychees from Australia to New York.
Tech and innovationCharles Simons BioScout
BioScout has revolutionised horticulture by replacing reactive disease management with the world’s first autonomous, real-time fungal surveillance network. Utilising patented AI and automated microscopy, BioScout detects airborne pathogens up to 14 days before symptoms appear, allowing growers to transition from calendar-based spraying to precision applications.
Community stewardship John Tselekidis Mitolo Family Farms
John Tselekidis is the chief commercial officer at Mitolo Family Farms which has demonstrated exceptional community stewardship through its long-standing partnership with Foodbank Australia. Since 2001, the business has provided a consistent weekly supply of fresh potatoes and onions, helping create a reliable source of nutritious food for Australians experiencing hardship. In 2025 alone, Mitolo donated close to 2.5 million kilograms of produce.
Exporter of the year Francis Tedesco Center West Exports
Center West Exports is led by decades of multi‑ generational growing expertise, producing carrots across more than 1,300 acres of fertile farmland. Specialising in premium carrots, Center West Exports delivers a consistent, high‑ quality supply year‑ round. The company serves over 30 international markets, across the Middle East, Asia and further afield every week. Center West Exports’ operational scale is demonstrated by shipments of over 50 containers every week to export customers near and far, reflecting strong export capability and reliability.
Women in horticulture Julie Bird Hort Innovation
Julie Bird has delivered sustained, sector wide impact across Australian horticulture through her leadership as chair of Hort Innovation and broader governance roles across multiple primary industries. With more than 30 years’ experience spanning RDCs, commercial entities and industry bodies, Julie has played a defining role in reshaping how the horticulture industry invests, collaborates and ensures R&D delivers value to growers. Under her leadership, Hort Innovation now invests more than $170 million annually in strategically aligned research, development, marketing and trade initiatives, supporting productivity, market access, innovation adoption and industry resilience.
Industry Impact David Harris, Harris Farm Markets
David Harris started Harris Farm Markets over 55 years ago, with their first retail store in Villawood, and to this day remains 100 percent family owned and operated. The business was built on David’s principles of fairness, freshness and a real love of food. David’s approach led the market in delivering high quality fruit and vegetables at scale and contributed to industry growth and market opportunities for both growers, customers and the retail sector.
Ag Tech and Mechanisation Charles Simon, BioScout
BioScout has revolutionised horticulture by replacing reactive disease management with the world’s first autonomous, real-time fungal surveillance network. Utilising patented AI and automated microscopy, BioScout detects airborne pathogens up to 14 days before symptoms appear, allowing growers to transition from calendar-based spraying to precision applications.
Family business of the year Ben Martin Marto’s Mangoes
Marto’s Mangoes is a proudly family-owned and operated business that has made a meaningful and lasting contribution to the Australian mango industry. Marto’s Mangoes is a family-run business currently run by Ben and Ash-Lei Martin. Starting with 4,500 trees and now expanding to over 30,000 trees, Ben and Ash-Lei drive innovation through automation, advanced grading, and sustainable practices. The Martins are committed to building a future-focused, multi-generational farming legacy. Ben also gives back to industry through holding leadership roles as chairman of the Australian Mango Industry Association, board member of the Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers association, and is the vice-president of the Bowen Gumlu Growers association.
Marketer of the year Flaorite Group Maddie’s Month Campaign
Flavorite's Maddie’s Month campaign is a purpose-led retail initiative created in partnership with Coles and the bone marrow failure syndromes charity, Maddie Riewoldt’s Vision (MRV). Led by Flavorite, the campaign came to life through standout purple packaging, in-store activations, POS materials, digital integration, PR, earned media and social content designed to maximise awareness and customer engagement. The integrated campaign significantly expanded national reach, strengthened emotional connection with shoppers, elevated brand visibility and delivered year-on-year sales growth during the activation period.
