For the first time in a long time, agriculture is cool again, says Rob Hewett, Lincoln University Council member and co-chair of Silver Fern Farms Limited.
“As the leading economic sector in New Zealand, and likely to be that way for some time, agriculture is going to lead New Zealand out of the post-Covid19 recession,” Mr Hewett said.
“People want to get on board the ag bus, because it is going places – and fast.”
However, he said the sector needed more qualified staff willing to make a career in agriculture.
"Lincoln is in the box seat as New Zealand’s only land-based university to bring these people through.”
Lincoln is offering free diplomas in agriculture, farm management, horticulture and organic agri-food production, as part of the Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund. He said this allowed people who may not have seriously considered working in the sector career to “dip a toe in the water without as big a financial cost of doing so”.
“It is attractive to many, and the sector is crying out for the right sort of staff. Free diplomas are attractive, and likely to attract larger numbers of prospective students and ultimately, employees.
“The future is really bright for people in this sector. It is New Zealand’s leading economic light and needs to be considered as such in terms of employment opportunity.”
He said new skills were required in the sector.
“Technical skills for all are evolving, and emphasis of focus is widening to include environmental and social considerations alongside financial ones. “Learning to drive computers, possessing critical analysis skills, using on-farm technology like drones, precision ag, milkflow computers are all new skill sets, which have appeared alongside the more accepted skills of animal husbandry, pasture management, tractor and implement use.”
Lincoln’s Master of Precision Agriculture degree embraces the ever-increasing use of digital technologies in monitoring, decision-making, operating and managing the primary production systems of a fast growing bio-economy, while the Bachelor of Agricultural Science incorporates innovations in the field.
“There are many opportunities to develop a variety of rewarding and challenging careers with high levels of responsibility. This may lead to ultimately managing or owning a farm through innovative ownership structures.”
He said there were two aspects to the primary sector – vocational, such as hands-on farming and farm management skills, and commercial, which meant working for agribusiness companies like Farmlands, as well as Zespri, Fonterra, and meat companies.
“Both elements have a shortage of qualified staff, particularly when the average age of sheep and beef farmers is taken into account. With regard to the commercial skills, supply of graduates has been seriously shorter than demand for a long time.”
He said Lincoln was part of helping the community to see agriculture for what it was and what it could be, which involved mature conversations from all parties, as entrenched positions needed to be opened up in order to move forward.
“Farmers need to take on board society’s concerns about water quality, and urbanites need to understand the need for water storage to allow agriculture to continue to develop premium products demanded all over the world.
“We also need to be mature enough for an informed discussion on CRISPR technology and the potential (highly productive and less resource intensive) role of gene editing in our futures. We are all in this together and Lincoln can help bridge the gap,” he said.
“As a country, we have what much of what the world wants. How we maximise the benefit of this for New Zealand on a sustainable, effective and equitable basis is an opportunity for Lincoln to show the way.”