Feilding’s Agribusiness Growth Driving Manawatū Economy
Manawatu Mayor Michael Ford says the district sees itself as the agribusiness capital of the lower North Island.
"We are 21% ahead of our target and we have the highest percentage increase in students across the university," he says.
Kenyon says at the same time there's been an increase in PhD and Master's students. He says in 2025 there were 130 students doing PhDs and a further 160 doing master's degrees; in the last month, a further 16 PhD students have enrolled.
"Things are really flying and we are having to employ more staff," he says.
Kenyon says they have been advertising for lecturers in environmental science, animal production and horticulture.
In addition, the university is running special training programmes for secondary school teachers who teach agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness. This is being done in partnershi with the Horticultural Agricultural Teachers Association.
This, he says, is in response to a huge uptake by students in secondary schools wanting to take agricultural-related subjects and there is a need to train more teachers to teach these subjects.
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Kenyon says there are now 200 secondary schools teaching agriculture and horticulture and a further 115 teaching agribusiness.
"Interestingly, within a two-hour radius of Palmerston North there are more students doing agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness than those doing science and physics," he says.
Kenyon says the result is there will be a large cohort of future leaders, in the agri sector or other professions, with good knowledge about the engine room of the NZ economy - the agri sector.
