Agriculture students double

Agriculture student numbers have increased, reversing the student drought of a few years ago. JILL GALLOWAY talked to Massey University's head of the Natural Resources Institute, Peter Kemp.

The number of agricultural students overall is a something of a trick question, says Massey University's head of the Natural Resources Institute, Peter Kemp.

That's because there are a number of agricultural degrees – applied and science-based degrees, as well students in environmental science, who might have an agricultural bent. Then there are the animal-science and veterinary-science students, some of whom will go into agricultural careers.

But numbers for both the applied agricultural degree programmes of B Agri Science and B Agri Commerce have experienced growth in student numbers. So has the BSc (Agricultural Science) option.

As well as that, student numbers are up for the horticulture option, but from a very low base, says Prof Kemp.

"Student numbers have doubled in agriculture from the low of perhaps five years ago. We did have an increase in numbers last year, but there has been a bigger increase again this year."

Prof Kemp said the increase was a trend, rather than a blip.

"They are three-year degree courses. We've seen this increase for the past two years."

In Agri Science there are 79 students, 24 in second year and 55 first year. In the BSc, there are 12 first-year agricultural science students.

"We have 60 students in agriculture. That might not sound like a lot, but it is double where we were five years ago. I remember enrolling 25 to 30 agricultural students," Prof Kemp says.

And the reason for the big increase?

"There's the macro-economics. There's nothing like an economic crisis for everyone to want to get a better qualification, to get a better job."

But there is another reason too.

"We also have to give credit to people such as Jacqueline Rowarth who still teach that agriculture students can get good jobs, that there's a future in agriculture and that there are good salaries to be had," he says.

The jobs are in areas such as agricultural service companies, rural banking, farming, farm consultancy, research and development, and science.

It is a combination of two things, Prof Kemp believes – the economic crisis and a returning confidence in agriculture as a place to find employment.

People have a choice of what they study and, now that agriculture and land-based industries are responsible for half of all New Zealand' export earnings, they are reassured agriculture is not the sunset industry many thought it was, he says.

Then there is the dairying boom. "Dairy pollution is in the news nearly every day. But the very fact it is in the news, and all the major papers have rural and agribusiness reporters – agriculture has a higher profile. That is all part of the growth in student numbers."

There has also been an agricultural push to get the bright kids interested in joining the industry.

Gone are the days when only struggling students went into agriculture. Those who weren't smart were told farming was the option for them.

Now a farmer has to be an economist, a veterinarian, a businessman, and a computer whiz, get on well with their banker and stock agent, drench, shear, and deal with animal welfare.

It is great if they are good at filling out forms too.

There have been Meat and Wool New Zealand career days, with veterinarians, fertiliser representatives, farmers, stock agents and meat-industry workers. There have been dairy days, where secondary students have had to conditions-score cows. They have talked about cow mating and calving and much more.

Not only have secondary-school students gone along, but also teachers in agriculture and horticulture, and careers advisers at schools. They have been very successful at encouraging young people into agriculture.

Along with that, there is also the annual Young Farmer of the Year contest, and Young Farmers' Clubs are some of the few rural groups that have been growing.

There has been a resurgence then, after the drought of previous years.

"It is cyclic. IT (information technology) is everything, then business is important. It changes."

Prof Kemp talks about a first-year compulsory paper, Plants and Agriculture. "There were a record 85 students last year, and 101 this year."

Massey and Lincoln University combined have not been meeting the industry's need for graduates and post-graduates in agriculture, and there is a world shortage. Agricultural scientists and engineers are in demand around the globe.

What about staff for the burgeoning agricultural student role?

"At the moment we're OK. But if we got many more and kept growing, we would be looking to employ. It is hard to match staffing with student numbers.

"The looming problem, as with many areas of agriculture is the ageing of many staff. There are a large number of experienced people, but many of them are 50 years or over," Prof Kemp said.

There aren't enough people in the 35 to 45-year bracket who are experienced in agriculture.

That is the legacy of all those years when agriculture and horticulture were the poor cousins of areas such as media, film, business, and politics.

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