Nuffield Scholars Announced

The New Zealand Nuffield Farming Scholarship Trust is pleased to announce three scholarship recipients for 2007.



Craige Mackenzie is an arable farmer from Ashburton. Craige has recently expanded his operation to include a dairy farm. He proposes to use his scholarship to help in the understanding of carbon footprints within farming systems. This will include looking at energy audits, nutrient budgeting and sustainable use of irrigation resources.



Ali Undorf-Lay from Rangiora is the first non-farming New Zealand applicant to be awarded a scholarship. Ali works for Federated Farmers of New Zealand in their strategic communications team in Christchurch. Ali proposes to study the increasingly tense relationship between rural and urban perceptions of agriculture. She believes Europe will be of special interest as they have faced the same issues for a lot longer and will have developed strategies that New Zealand could learn from. Awareness of how the agricultural industry and public groups engage in agricultural-environmental issues is very topical.



James Parsons from Northland will receive a scholarship to study overseas and observe how technologies can be used in reclaiming the low cost farming system that New Zealand agriculture has been historically based on. An owner operator on a sheep and beef unit in Northland, James is very keen to expand his knowledge and move both his business and farming forward without getting caught up in increasing costs of production.



Nuffield Farming Scholarships promote leadership and the implementation of innovative practices in agriculture through worldwide study and interpersonal contact. The scholarships give successful applicants the opportunity to develop a better understanding of New Zealand and international relationships by studying farming, agricultural marketing or agricultural organisational practices internationally.



The three scholars will attend a Contemporary Scholars Conference in Melbourne in late February, hosted by the Australian Nuffield network and attended by scholars from other participating countries. They will then do a global tour with other scholars where they get the opportunity to experience a wide range of agricultural operations throughout a variety of countries.



The balance of the scholarship is for the recipients to organise and research their chosen study topic where and how they see fit. Both a written and oral presentation is made to the Nuffield organisation at the conclusion of their tour.



“The quality of candidates for the scholarships was outstanding, and it was difficult to narrow the selection down. The successful candidates’ strong commitment to their industry impressed the selection panel,” said Nuffield chair Stuart Wright.



“Nuffield Farming Scholarships have been offered to innovative New Zealand farmers for more than 50 years and I am sure that these three recipients will make an outstanding contribution to New Zealand agriculture,” said Mr Wright.



Nuffield Farming Scholarships are funded by Dairy InSight, Landcorp, Meat and Wool New Zealand, the Mackenzie Trust and Rabobank. For more information on Nuffield visit www.nuffield.org.nz  



ENDS