Deadline for entries IGOTY Awards is approaching

Growers of cut flowers are encouraged to make themselves known and enter the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) International Grower of the Year Awards (IGOTY) 2017.

In partnership with Founding Partner, FloraCulture International (FCI), the awards recognise best practice in horticultural production. In addition to a category for ’Cut Flowers and Foliage’ there are also categories for ’Young Plants’ and ’Finished Plants and Trees’.

Winning the gold cut flowers award in 2016 was Arcadia Chrysanten, Netherlands. Silver went to Flash Tarim Ürünleri Ltd. Sti. (Flash Flowers), Turkey.

Arcadia Chrysanten, Netherlands, specialises in the cultivation and marketing of bunched and disbudded chrysanthemums, producing 50 million high quality branches a year for sale in both Eastern and Western Europe. Constantly looking for innovative shapes and colours, the company produces 20 varieties of chrysanthemum which are market and customer-oriented. It has expanded its range with disbudded chrysanthemums in particular, as well as through new species and by adapting to the season.

Bart van Ruijven of Arcadia Chrysanten, said, ’For Arcadia it was a great honour to be nominated for the AIPH International Grower of the Year Award. For us it felt like a crown on our work. The following days we received many congratulations and gifts to congratulate us on our victory. To this day we still carry proudly that we have won this award, and we try to use all the positivity of this award in our continued business operations.’

Once again the awards will take place during IPM Essen, Germany. The event commences with a drinks reception followed by a gala dinner and ceremony hosted by Chris Beytes, Editor of US based GrowerTalks. After the awards there will be an evening of celebration with live entertainment and international networking.

The deadline for entries is 31 July 2016. Last year ornamentals growers from Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, UK and USA reached the finals.

For more information, including a video from the IGOTY 2016 awards, visit: www.aiph.org/groweroftheyear