Celebrating Excellence at the Hortgro Science Thank You Breakfast

Hortgro Science hosted its annual Thank You Breakfast on Friday, 28 November 2025, at STIAS in Stellenbosch, bringing together researchers, students, partners, and industry leaders to reflect on the year’s achievements and celebrate outstanding academic contributions.

Guests were welcomed with sparkling wine and mimosas on the deck before the morning’s highlight—the presentation of student awards, recognising excellence across horticulture, entomology, pathology, and postharvest research.

Top student awards included:

• The Karen Theron Award for the Best Fourth-Year Student in Horticultural Science (2024): Aniké Maré

• Ken Pringle Award for Best Entomology Student: Andrea Bennett

• Wolf Schwabe Award for Best Plant Pathology Student: Aniké Maré

Hortgro Science also honoured the best final research reports for 2025, showcasing work that supports South Africa’s deciduous fruit sector:

• Entomology: Casper Crous — Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer and its impact on fruit trees

• Pathology: Lizel Mostert — Risks of mulches in spreading canker pathogens

• Postharvest: Elke Crouch — Internal browning of ‘Cripps Pink’ apples during long-term storage

A special appreciation award was presented to the valued statistics team—Mardé Booysen, Marieta van der Rijst, and Martin Kidd—for their essential support to research projects.

The event also included warm farewells to Hugh Campbell and Matthew Addison, who were thanked for their many years of dedication to the industry. The breakfast concluded with a video presentation, bringing to a close a morning dedicated to celebrating science, collaboration, and the people who make it all possible.