Jacqueline Rowarth: Industry chiefs want students to pick farming

Thousands of new students will start university over the next few weeks and economic development will depend upon what they choose to study.

New Zealand, in common with many other countries, needs a productive environment, managed efficiently and responsibly by a vibrant and adaptable workforce.

This vision requires new science, new people and a comprehensive understanding of soil, plant, water and animal resources.

As Nigel Gould, chancellor of Massey University, says: "The primary resource sector requires an ever-increasing source of educated capability to drive what has already been achieved, and to provide the fresh, innovative skills to drive the capability to new levels."

He said the country probably had more intellectual capital committed to essentially non-productive issues to do with resource management and treaty issues than it had invested in research and development in the most productive sector.

In the 2001 census, fewer than 5 per cent of employees in the primary resource industries had an undergraduate degree, almost the lowest of all industry groups.

University graduates in agriculture and environment decreased from 894 to 552 between 1997 and 2002 - from 3 per cent of the graduate cohort to 1.6 per cent.

Agricultural science now represents less than 0.5 per cent of graduates.

The recruitment problem is at least partly one of image.

Speaking at a meeting of primary resource chief executives of industry, research institutes, science societies, education and farming, Dr Joe Jen, United States Department of Agriculture undersecretary for research, education and economics, encapsulated the image problem - agriculture is a cow pat; food is a chef.

In New Zealand, we perpetuate the image with characters such as Wal, Jock and the Southern man.

The reality is that agriculture is becoming increasingly more complex and technical.

Higher education is required to ensure that the agricultural workforce has the skills, competencies and attributes to meet the challenges imposed by the environment - climatic and market.

The primary resources sector is full of opportunities, only a fraction of which have been realised or even recognised.

Technological advances mean that huge gains have been made, in efficiency and added value.

In the words of Federated Farmers president Tom Lambie, recent advances have allowed technology to overcome the tyranny of distance, even to use it to advantage.

Kiwifruit now arrives in European supermarkets at the point of perfection for eating; chilled lamb reaches the Northern Hemisphere, and the supermarket, at a higher quality than it left New Zealand.

Both examples provide clear evidence of added value in the sector.

Sadly, knowledge of the advances and opportunities does not seem to be widespread.

Dr Allan Freeth, speaking at the same event, suggested that agriculture is falling short of providing the economic momentum upon which the economy depends.

He said this was because it needed leaders and leadership to reassert its importance, provide a beacon to young people, ensure agriculture workers stopped serving the dinner and regained their place at the top table.

He also wanted the sector having a voice in the corridors of power rather than being the ones mopping those corridor floors.

Freeth challenged key individuals, companies and institutions to step forward, create energy and resources for industry reforms, and re-invigorate spending and reform in agricultural research.

He said it was time for an honest and constructive fronting of environmental concerns, and a recommitment for excellence and a critical mass in agricultural education.

Clearly, it is time for the establishment of a primary resources round table to set strategy, steer policy and create a long-term framework for a sustainable primary resource sector.

With leadership, agriculture will be able to do more for New Zealand.

It won't happen overnight, but it will happen as long as the country has bright and able people educated in the right areas.

* Dr Jacqueline Rowarth is vice-president of research and development at Unitec.