AgriFutures Rural Women's Award

The Hon. M. EL DANNAWI (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister inform the chamber about the winner of the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for her question and her ongoing interest in the wonderful things that women are doing in our regional communities. I am very pleased to inform the chamber about some of those inspiring South Australian women who were announced as the finalists and winners in the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award last month.

The chamber may remember that in February I spoke about the four women who were announced finalists: Marie Ellul from Adelaide, Emma Gilbert from Clarendon, Annabelle Homer from the Clare Valley, and Kelly Johnson from the Murraylands. It was a great privilege to attend the awards night in April and to hear firsthand from Marie, Emma, Annabelle and Kelly about the fantastic work that they are doing in regional areas.

To recap about the four finalists, Marie is a reproductive scientist and a leader in livestock reproduction technology. Her business, ART Lab Solutions, offers world-leading reproductive technology for cattle breeding, which accelerates the improvement of livestock quality for breeders.

Emma developed an app, IncubatePro, which monitors and tracks poultry hatches, enabling farmers to analyse egg fertility and monitor performance of poultry in both productivity and fertility. The app can also consider variables, including temperature and humidity, so farmers can analyse their impacts on hatch rates. Emma is also looking to expand the use of the app in educational settings to help students learn in a hands-on way about farming and sustainability.

Annabelle is a former journalist who now works as a professional voice coach, using her business, Voice It, to help young people and adults in regional areas develop and enhance their communication skills. This type of place-based training is vital for regional areas. Voice It develops effective communicators in region, enabling people in regional areas to take up opportunities on podcasts and radio, or public speaking roles at industry events, to name a few.

Kelly founded SPhiker, a business that uses high-quality, plant-based seconds produce to create lightweight, shelf staple meals for hiking, cycling and sailing. The use of seconds produce purchased directly from farms reduces food waste and supports responsible use of resources. I am advised the meals are great value for money, costing about $6 per main meal. They simply require water to be added and under 15 minutes of cooking before being ready for consumption.

All four women were very inspiring and worthy finalists, and I congratulate each of them on their innovation and dedication to bringing about positive change in our state's regional communities. The South Australian winner, who will go on to represent the state at the national AgriFutures Rural Women's Awards gala dinner, is Kelly Johnson and her business SPhiker. For over two decades, the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award has provided more than 400 women with valuable professional development and networking opportunities, enabling them to further elevate their profile and amplify their impact and influence. I am proud that the South Australian government has a long and close association with the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award through PIRSA's role as the supporting state agency.

Among the awards alumni are pioneers and leaders who continue to contribute to the growth, development and prosperity of regional and rural communities and industries. The breadth of skills and expertise in the alumni group reflect the broader talent we are fortunate to have in our state's regions. Congratulations to the finalists, Marie, Emma and Annabelle, who have all made meaningful change in their respective industries and communities. I look forward to what the coming months and years bring following the recognition they have had as finalists of the award.

To Kelly, the state winner, this award is a fantastic springboard and I know that many opportunities will be opening up. I wish her the best of luck at the national awards in Canberra later this year, and I cannot wait to see how she uses this wonderful opportunity. As an aside, at the Women of Influence lunch last week, I was the fortunate winner of a bid on the SPhiker hamper, so I will have the opportunity to sample some of Kelly's produce, and if anyone in this chamber would also like to do so, they are welcome to contact my office.

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I don't think she won it, I think she bought it, but anyhow.