Massey University Opens $70m Ngā Huia Vet Facility
Minister for Universities, Shane Reti, has opened the final new build in a ten plus year project to upgrade the veterinary facilities at Massey University.
AsureQuality Limited Group Service Manager Mike Fenton with AsureQuality Seed Technology Scholarship recipient Dhanesha Nanayakkara. Photo Credit: Massey University.
83 students from the Massey University School of Agriculture and Environment were awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships at a recent awards evening.
The evening saw the presentation of 19 first-year agriculture and horticulture scholarships, alongside eight first-year Bachelor of Agribusiness scholarships. The Sydney Campbell Foundation, established under the will of Sydney Campbell who owned the Wairarapa sheep and beef farm Riverside Farm, provided four undergraduate scholarships worth $2,500 each, as well as an additional three first-year undergraduate scholarships of the same value.
Overall, 105 scholarships were awarded, including 34 postgraduate scholarships to 25 postgraduate students and 71 undergraduate scholarships to 58 undergraduate students.
Building on updates made to the Applied Programme Scholarship Awards, additional scholarships were granted to incoming students this year.
The scholarship initiative, provided through New Zealand schools, aims to encourage students to pursue careers in agriculture and horticulture by providing financial support for their studies and serving as a motivation to explore career opportunities available within the agricultural industry.
College of Sciences Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Ray Geor opened the evening by highlighting that the scholarships represented both individual achievement and a commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders and innovators in those fields.
“Our students are our raison d’etre – the reason we as teachers and academics are all here,” Geor says. “We want to nurture, inspire and support the next generation of primary industry leaders here at Massey.”
He says Massey University is committed to supplying the managers, leaders and great thinkers of tomorrow.
“The primary sector is critical to our nation’s economic success and needs Massey’s support,” he adds.
“These scholarships will make a difference to each individual student’s journey with us and shows Massey’s support in an economically challenging environment. I hope they alleviate some financial pressure, allowing our students to focus on their education and start their careers in Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading industry,” Geor says.
Federated Farmers says it is cautiously welcoming signals from the Government that a major shake-up of local government is on its way.
Ashburton cropping and dairy farmer Matthew Paton has been elected to the board of rural services company, Ruralco.
The global agricultural landscape has entered a new phase where geopolitics – not only traditional market forces – will dictate agricultural trade flows, prices, and production decisions.
National Lamb Day is set to return in 2026 with organisers saying the celebrations will be bigger than ever.
Fonterra has dropped its forecast milk price mid-point by 50c as a surge in global milk production is putting downward pressure on commodity prices.
The chance of a $10-plus milk price for this season appears to be depleting.

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