Ros Smerdon, an avocado grower from the Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland, has been named the Australian RIRDC Rural Women’s Award winner for 2008.

Mrs Smerdon was named the winner at a gala dinner held in Parliament House in Canberra tonight.  Western Australian olive and protea grower Maggie Edmonds, from Gingin was named runner-up.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award is designed to recognise and encourage the vital contribution women make to rural Australia.

Ros Smerdon is an avocado, macadamia and custard apple grower and chair of the grower owned cooperative Nature’s Fruit Company. She is also Vice President of the Australian Custard Apple Growers Association and a member of numerous other horticultural organizations.

As part of her award, Ros plans to undertake a study tour of South Africa to benchmark Australian industry against world’s best practice.  She believes through new value adding and marketing opportunities, growers will be able to exert more influence over the market and their returns.

Maggie Edmonds has a long history of involvement in Western Australia’s agricultural industries, most notably in the protea flower, passionfruit and olive industries.

The winner and runner-up were selected from seven state and territory winners, who each receive a bursary of $10,000 to help them achieve their vision for their industry, and the opportunity to attend the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course.
 
RIRDC Managing Director, Dr Peter O’Brien, said Ros and Maggie were the embodiment of the thousands of women who play such a strong role in agriculture and rural communities.

“Rural Australia’s productivity and sustainability depend on the best use of our assets, including our people.  The facts are we are not making the best use of our rural women.

“Women make up only nine per cent of agricultural commodity council members, seven per cent of listed agricultural company directors and 16 per cent of Rural R&D Corporation Board members,” Dr O’Brien said.

“This award provides the opportunity for women to deliver on their vision for rural Australia and gives them the training through the AICD course to step up to positions of leadership.

“As the leading provider of R&D for cross-cutting national rural issues, RIRDC is proud to be supporting rural women through this award.”

The RIRDC Rural Women’s Award 2008 national partners are the Australian Government’s Office for Women, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The 2008 Award’s three major sponsors are The Australian Women’s Weekly, Rural Press and ABC Radio.
 
Media enquiries: Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445