Editorial: Common Sense Prevails
OPINION: The Government's decision to reinstate agriculture and horticultural science as a standalone subject from Year 11 is the right one.
Applications are open for Horticulture New Zealand’s (HortNZ) 2025 scholarship programme with18 funding opportunities for students with a special interest in the commercial fruit and vegetable industry.
Hort NZ, which represents New Zealand’s more than 4,500+ commercial growers, offers a range of scholarships to students who are studying towards undergraduate or postgraduate degrees every year.
Kate Scott, HortNZ chief executive, said the programme is strongly focused on supporting the next generation of innovators and leaders in the sector.
“There is a huge range of career opportunities in the sector, from agronomy to engineering, biosecurity to sales and marketing, policy and much more. Our previous scholars reflect that diversity of study topics and the careers they have gone on to enjoy.
“We’re focused on our goal of doubling the farmgate value of production by 2035 in a way that improves prosperity for our people and protects our environment. Our scholarship programme recognises and supports the highly skilled, highly motivated young leaders who will be critical to achieving the sector’s ambitious targets.”
Two postgraduate scholarships, each worth $10,000, are available nationally for the 2025 academic year. These focus on students undertaking postgraduate study in New Zealand and tackling challenges critical to the horticulture industry’s future success.
The Horticulture New Zealand Postgraduate Scholarship is awarded to a student undertaking postgraduate study in horticulture or a related field.
The New Zealand Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust Postgraduate Scholarship is for a student undertaking study specifically related to the fruit industry.
Thirteen Horticulture New Zealand Undergraduate Scholarships, worth $1,500 each, are provided to enable successful applicants to attend the 2025 Horticulture Conference.
Nine of these will be awarded to applicants from New Zealand’s major growing regions including, Northland; Auckland/Waikato; Bay of Plenty; Gisborne; Hawke’s Bay; Lower North Island; Tasman, including Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast, Canterbury; and Otago and Southland. The remaining four will be awarded nationally.
Three Horticentre Trust Scholarships valued at $4,500 will also be awarded.
Applicants must be a tertiary student studying towards an undergraduate degree or diploma in any discipline and be able to demonstrate their intent to support the New Zealand fruit and vegetable industry post study. Applications for all of the scholarships close on 1 December 2024, 11pm.
For further details or to apply, please visit www.hortnz.co.nz/people-jobs-and-labour/scholarships/.
Three men have been sentenced in District Courts after Ministry for Primary Industries prosecutions over animal welfare, food safety and cattle tracing offences.
Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.
OPINION: The Government's decision to reinstate agriculture and horticultural science as a standalone subject from Year 11 is the right one.
Dairy farmers, still holding onto their Fonterra shares despite switching milk supply elsewhere or exiting the industry, now face a stricter share sell-down requirement.
Hamilton-based agritech company Aimer Farming has completed a $3 million capital raise to support its next stage of growth, including a beef farming product due to launch in 2027.
When dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen learned the farm, she was joining held weekly health and safety meetings, she initially thought that was “a bit over the top”. Experiencing that culture changed her mind.

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