Northern NSW agronomist named Young Achiever at 2017 Australian Cotton Industry Awards
From spending summers bug checking as a uni student to winning a prestigious national industry award, Fiona Norrie is kicking some huge career goals.
The Moree agronomist was recently named the ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust Young Cotton Achiever of the Year at the 2017 Australian Cotton Industry Awards.
Fiona grew up on a mixed farming operation near Narrabri, northern NSW, and was attracted to cotton operations from a young age. She began studying a Bachelor of Rural Science at UNE and now works as an agronomist with Integrated Crop Management Services in Moree, helping many local growers improve yields, sustainability and farm performance. Fiona has also driven the development of a hugely successful support network in agriculture, becoming the inaugural Young Aggies Committee Chairperson in 2016.
“It really means the world,” Fiona said of the award. “To be acknowledged at an industry level with an award whose namesake was the pioneer of independent cotton consultancy, is really just overwhelming and very humbling. It means that the work I’ve done in terms of agronomy and the Young Aggies has had some sort of an impact, and that’s all I could ever really ask for.”
The judges were impressed with Fiona's agronomist capabilities and her strong vision for the industry's future. “Fiona’s work with Young Aggies, an organisation bringing together young agricultural professionals, demonstrated a commitment to the community and the future of the industry,” the judges explained.
The award was presented before more than 380 cotton growers and industry representatives who gathered in Griffith to celebrate the recipients of the Awards.
The Awards program recognises excellence and achievement in Australia’s cotton industry throughout the supply chain; from growers and ginners to product suppliers, consultants, agronomists and researchers.
Fiona is feeling very positive about the future of her career in cotton. “At the moment my focus is to continue to hone my agronomic skills and be able to deliver the best outcomes possible for our clients, in terms of efficiency and sustainability,” she explained. “I can see opportunities for the Young Aggies group to be the go-to for delivering networking events to the next generation in our region, and that is happening more as the group grows.”
by Libby Guest in Latest News
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