Australia
June 10, 2021
Syngenta Australia-New Zealand Managing Director Paul Luxton presents the Syngenta Grower of the Year Award to Andrew Moon. The award was jointly won by Andrew and brother David, who run Moonrocks. Picture by: Andrew Beveridge
Fifth generation farmers Andrew and David Moon from Moonrocks, a family-owned business based in Western Queensland, have been recognised for their achievements in the Australian horticulture industry by receiving the Syngenta Grower of the Year Award at the Hort Connections 2021 conference in Brisbane on Wednesday 9 June.
The Syngenta Grower of the Year Award recognises outstanding achievement across all aspects of horticultural production, including growing, environmental management, staff management and quality of produce, and acknowledges grower commitment to innovation and advancing the Australian horticulture industry.
The award is supported by Syngenta, a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources through world class science and innovative crop solutions.
Moonrocks supplies a wide range of horticulture crops, specialising in broccoli, onions and garlic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andrew and David started the G’day Garlic range of garlic powders, which deliver a truly paddock to plate experience. Processing and packaging of the products also take place on-farm, which has supported the local community by creating jobs and contributed to the business’s growth.
“The Grower of the Year Award is the highest accolade in Australian horticulture and reflects Andrew and David’s dedication to their business and their tireless efforts on behalf of the horticulture industry,” said AUSVEG CEO James Whiteside.
“Andrew and David are actively involved in the vegetable and wider horticulture industry, with Andrew previously serving as Chair of Onions Australia and David a former Board Member of Hort Innovation.”
“Andrew and David have transformed their business into one of the most innovative and successful growing operations in Australia, which has been built on a strong foundation of consistent quality through environmentally sustainable farming practices and attention to detail.”
“Andrew and David are very deserving winners of the Grower of the Year accolade and we congratulate them on their tremendous success to date. I have no doubt we will continue to see great things from them for years to come.”
Winners of the Hort Connections 2021 National Awards for Excellence:
Andrew and David Moon, Qld – Syngenta Grower of the Year
Xavier Toohey, Vic – Corteva Agriscience Young Grower of the Year
Catherine Velisha, Vic – Boomaroo Nurseries Women in Horticulture Award
Steven Moffatt, Qld – Hort Innovation Exporter of the Year
Dr Jenny Ekman, NSW – Bayer Researcher of the Year
East Gippsland Vegetable Innovation Days (EGVID), Vic – Visy Industry Impact Award
Andrew Smith, Tas – E.E. Muir & Sons Community Stewardship Award
Mark and Darren Todaro, Vic – Butler Market Gardens Environmental Award
Syngenta is the lead stategic partner of AUSVEG in 2021. Hort Connections 2021 is a joint initiative between AUSVEG and the Produce Marketing Association Australia – New Zealand (PMA A-NZ).
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