THE future of agriculture is looking a little brighter for the Mallee region due to an increase in agriculture-related university offers across the state.
This year’s first round of university offers, released last week, showed a 14 per cent increase in agriculture offers compared with last year.
Agrivision agronomist Kent Wooding said the increase was a good sign and an indication that the industry will have the graduates needed for the future.
“It sends a positive message that agricultures is doing well or improving,” he said.
“And hopefully that will attract more people to the industry — we do need bright, energetic people studying agriculture, it’s what drives the Mallee economy.”
Agricultural consultants, agronomists, engineers, shearers, machinery operators and animal technicians have all been identified as occupations experiencing skill shortages in Victoria.
Record low numbers of students began agriculture studies at Victorian universities last year, and a parliamentary inquiry released last May found that for every agricultural science graduate there were eight or nine jobs available.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s edition of The
Guardian (23/01/13).
