This award recognises food and fibre businesses that have demonstrated excellent use of technology with an entrepreneurial spirit. These businesses are creating unique and successful services or products that contribute to and have a positive impact on the wider Gippsland region.

No doubt, the global pandemic conditions have resulted in unprecedented challenges for export, but the businesses on the finalists list for the Exporting Award have adapted. They’ve continued to explore new markets and find new customers all around the world. This Award recognises food and fibre businesses that have tapped into international market share by significantly increasing their product export volumes or they’ve penetrated new export markets in 2021.

The Building Capability Award recognizes food and fibre businesses that have demonstrated how and what they are doing to build capability across various aspects of their operations.

There are four finalists - all with very different businesses - a great sign of the diversity across the food and fibre sector in Gippsland

Gippsland women are making their mark across a huge range of food and fibre businesses throughout the region, and from an impressive number of entries, we have four finalists in the 2021 Female Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award.

The fab four come from different LGA’s across Gippsland: starting with an agronomist in the East, an artisan goods maker in the Baw Baw Shire, a dairy products entrepreneur in South Gippsland and a native foods farmer and cafe owner on the Bass Coast.