NORTHERN WA agriculture champion Kalyn Fletcher was named as WA’s 2016 Rural Women’s Award winner tonight.
Ms Fletcher said she will use her $10,000 winnings to learn from agriculturalists in the Cerrado region, Brazil, to gain knowledge she can bring back to further develop the Kimberly region and northern Australia
Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston presented the Kununurra seed business operator Ms Fletcher with the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation award at a gala ceremony in Perth.
Mr Baston said Ms Fletcher was a worthy recipient of the award.
“I agree with Kalyn that there is great potential to attract investment in tropical agriculture in the north, which will boost economic development, jobs and communities in the region,” Mr Baston said.
“The State Government is supporting this vision via the Growing the north initiative, which is laying the groundwork for the far north to realise its agricultural development potential.”
“Kalyn plans to share the knowledge and insight gained from this experience with industry stakeholders to drive the expansion of this promising industry.”
Ms Fletcher is now the Western Australian finalist in the national RIRDC Rural Women’s Award, to be held in Canberra on October 11.