Citrus Australia celebrated the contributions of individuals across the citrus sector at the 2025 Citrus Australia Awards, held during the Australian Citrus Congress dinner on March 19 at Piccolo Family Farm near Griffith, New South Wales. The event acknowledged achievements across leadership, service, and innovation in three award categories.
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Citrus Australia chair Richard Byllaardt presented the awards and noted that recipients were selected from a broad group of nominees nationwide. He described the evening as memorable and noted the recipients' representation of ongoing leadership and innovation within the industry.
The Value Chain Innovator Award was presented to Helen Aggeletos, Managing Director of Venus Citrus in Loxton, South Australia. Since taking over her family's business in 1989, Aggeletos has led marketing initiatives and explored sustainability in citrus branding. She has been involved in several industry committees and was instrumental in establishing Riversun in 1992.
Tania Chapman of Costa, Victoria, received the Service to Industry Award. Chapman has had a long career in horticulture, including operating her own citrus farm, holding leadership roles within the sector, and serving as an inaugural board member and former chair of Citrus Australia. Her work has spanned both grassroots engagement and national-level policy, with an ongoing focus on encouraging participation in agriculture.
The Emerging Leader Award was shared by two recipients. Tristan Smith of Fresh Produce Group was recognised for his technical contributions to citrus and table grape production. With a background in civil engineering, Smith has applied analytical approaches to planting systems and taken part in initiatives such as fruit fly management and overseas study tours on biosecurity threats like huanglongbing and citrus psyllid. He is a member of the Murray Valley Regional Advisory Committee.
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Jason Pandolfo of Mario's Packhouse in Griffith, New South Wales, also received the Emerging Leader Award. As marketing manager of the family-run operation, Pandolfo has worked on market access and grower engagement. He has also played a role in regional events and forums, including the organisation of a recent Regional Forum attended by over 70 industry members. He serves on the Riverina Regional Advisory Committee.
Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said the awards continue to highlight individuals whose work contributes meaningfully to the sector. He noted that recognising such individuals across various parts of the supply chain remains an important part of the organisation's efforts to support and develop the industry.
© Citrus AustraliaFor more information:Sarah C Porter
Citrus Australia
Tel: +61 (0) 438 358 787
Email: sarah.porter@citrusaustralia.com.au
www.citrusaustralia.com.au