16 May 2001 'Tremendous opportunities for agriculture graduates'

Agriculture is a complex, challenging industry and studying it at tertiary level is equally challenging and interesting, says the head of Lincoln University's Animal and Food Sciences Division, Professor Tony Bywater.

"There are tremendous opportunities for graduates in agriculture," he says, "and if you want to get into agriculture then obviously the best type of degree to have is an agricultural one."

"Such a degree - as taught at Lincoln University - gives students an excellent grounding in science, technology and commerce, which is a good launching pad for a variety of careers both inside and outside the farm gate.

"Agricultural graduates end up in a huge array of professions from farm management and farm ownership to rural advisory and consultancy work, to scientific research (interestingly, one of the world's top  human  cancer researchers has a Lincoln B.Agr.Sc. as his first degree), to rural sociology, to overseas aid work, to local and national politics to rural journalism.

"A major reason for studying agriculture is, therefore, the huge array of jobs it opens up for you when you graduate," says Professor Bywater.

"In addition, there is no escaping the fact that agriculture is the 'engine room' of the New Zealand economy. We have one of the most advanced agricultural sectors in the world, so if you want to be close to the action in this country's economy, then agriculture is for you.

"What's more, agriculture is likely to remain at the forefront of our country's economy for many years to come, and globally too there will never cease to be a demand for food, so employment prospects are clearly good over the long­ term. There will always be a demand for well-trained agricultural graduates."

The significance of the food-on-your-plate end of the agricultural chain is reflected   in   the   inclusion   of   "food   sciences"   in   the   name   of   Lincoln University's Animal and Food Sciences Division and there is immense scope at this end of things for interesting and satisfying careers - everything from nutritional scientists to agribusiness entrepreneurs.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.