Onions Australia will become the seventh industry body to co-host the Convention, along with AUSVEG, Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL), the Central Markets Association of Australia, in partnership with Fresh Markets Australia (CMAA-FMA), Growcom, Persimmons Australia Inc and Australian Organic.

“We are delighted to see the onion industry – Australia’s fourth largest vegetable crop that accounts for around nine per cent of Australia’s total vegetable production – come on board for the 2016 National Horticulture Convention,” said AUSVEG National Marketing Manager, Nathan McIntyre. “This partnership will ensure that an even wider spectrum of commodities are represented at the event, providing growers and stakeholders from across horticulture with the opportunity to network with a more diverse range of delegates than ever before.”

“Many onion growers have attended the Convention in the past and have benefited from the ability to network with a wide range of conventional and organic horticultural growers, wholesalers and marketers,” said Onions Australia Chairman, Kees Versteeg.“We’re excited to be co-hosting this event with AUSVEG and other industry bodies to ensure the 2016 Convention is even more successful than its predecessors.”

The 2016 National Horticulture Convention is set to surpass the success of previous events, with a greater number of delegates expected to descend on the Gold Coast for the premier event in Australian agriculture.

“With the addition of so many industries for this year’s Convention, we look forward to being part of a true National Horticulture Convention. The ability to participate in an event of this size will provide excellent value for Australia’s onion industry,” Versteeg said.

“The 2016 National Horticulture Convention has the highest ever number of industry bodies involved, a sold-out Trade Show and event registrations approximately 15 per cent higher than at the same time last year,” McIntyre added.

“We’re all very excited to host the 2016 National Horticulture Convention together to ensure a wider range of delegates from different horticultural backgrounds can benefit from horticulture’s most celebrated thinkers, meet with leading agribusinesses at an expansive trade show and network with each other.”

“With the help of Onions Australia and our co-hosts, this year’s event is set to become the most successful event in the history of Australian horticulture.”