Agribusiness Update – Young Farmers Event

We visited the following places:

· AbacusBio - international science and technology company with offices in Dunedin, Rotorua and Edinburgh. We listened to a presentation from young adults who are involved in a range of exciting and innovative projects delivering world-class solutions for clients across the agribusiness sector. It was fascinating to hear their stories and I know our students will enjoy visiting AbacusBio in 2020. https://abacusbio.com/

· Minchmoor Farm (Lee Stream) – sheep, beef and deer farm. The farm is managed by Brendon Wilson and he spoke about the changing nature of farming and the importance of technology.

· Dairy Farm (Outram) – Cameron & Nicola van Dorsten run the 204 hectare farm and won the 2019 Share Farmers of the Year in the Southland-Otago Dairy Industry Awards. They shared their stories of how they became dairy farmers and why the dairy industry is in need of highly skilled young people now and in the future.

· AgResearch – We were given a tour of the facility and an overview of current research projects including local and overseas. For example, smart collars for animals which enables data to be collected via GSP, improved feeding systems, automated irrigation, animal mood research, and sustainable farming focus. https://www.agresearch.co.nz/

· Panel discussion with local industry experts.

It was an excellent day out and I am in the process of planning a field trip for the Agribusiness students early in 2020.