Record applications spur call for more farm trainers
A charity that connects young people with farmers for two years of on-farm training is reporting 150 student applications for its 2026 intake.
B+LNZ is backing the Growing Future Farmers (GFF) Essential Farm Skills Programme, which offers a range of specialised industry training and development opportunities across the country – including formal New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) qualifications.
The funding will see enrolled learners get a boost of $500 each in 2021. GFF will also receive a cash injection of $25,000 towards running the programme.
“Farmers have told us how important building the next generation is to them and emphasised that they wanted us to focus on initiatives that would build practical capability behind the farm gate, so B+LNZ is implementing that approach,” says chief executive Sam McIvor.
GFF chair John Jackson welcomed the support saying it was a significant step in the growth and development of the programme.
“The success of this initiative is very much dependent on support from wider industry participants as it relies on our farmer trainers who sponsor our students in the workplace as they learn.”
Jackson says currently GFF has 45 student trainees on farms throughout New Zealand and it expecting to start a further 70 first year students next February.
Wairarapa’s Palliser Ridge currently has two GFF students and farm manager Kurt Portas says the programme is a good transition for school leavers to get into the industry.
“At Palliser Ridge, we’ve been involved with the GFF programme since its inception. There is some great agricultural training happening all over the country, but we need more of it and at a larger scale to keep our industry thriving.”
“At Palliser Ridge, we’ve been involved with the GFF programme since its inception. There is some great agricultural training happening all over the country, but we need more of it and at a larger scale to keep our industry thriving.”
“As well as having our own initiatives, B+LNZ collaborates with and provides funding support for other sector organisations to attract, train and retain the talent we need to drive the sector forward.”
