Tuesday, 16 January 2018 10:50

Taratahi set for growth

Written by 

Agricultural training provider Taratahi says its efforts to attract new students have paid off with solid enrolments for 2018.


Taratahi upped its marketing and as a result, the definite enrolments for 2018 are looking great, says chief executive Arthur Graves. 


“Taratahi and the wider primary industry have been promoting the job rich agricultural environments and extensive career pathways on offer and those campaigns are now yielding some great results. 


The institution is also adapting its farming systems in response to consumer demands for greater visibility over the provenance of their food. 


“For instance, this year Taratahi is introducing “sexed” bull semen that almost solely produces female calves – negating the need for the bobby calf trade which is becoming less acceptable to the public. Our aim is to use this innovation to ensure we have zero bobby calves on all our dairy farms. 


“It also means our students are exposed to some of the latest on farm methods while educating them about “bigger picture” of where farming is heading with lower input, more animal welfare friendly, environmentally friendly, traceable, natural food.


“We have also worked hard to attract prospective students from the city, by showing them there are a range of interesting career options in what is now a very complex and rewarding sector.” 


This has resulted in strong demand for Taratahi’s 2018 courses with more students already enrolled in a range of programmes for 2018 at Taratahi’s nine campuses around the country than at the same time in 2017. 


Graves says it is finding that students are keen for a different experience in another region - so many of Telford and Wairarapa residential campus students are coming from all over NZ. 


“An extra area of business is the increasing demand from agricultural service organisations seeking practical on farm experiences for their staff and we anticipate this market will continue to expand.”


Farm insurance companies, Farm advisors and government departments who deal with Primary sector and health and safety issues, are a growing customer base for our tailored farm experience and team building programmes. 


“That means that Taratahi is providing an on farm education and experience that gives policy makers and influencers a chance to learn the practicalities of modern farming methods while mixing with students who will be tomorrow’s farm leaders,” he says.

More like this

The model is broken – Govt

Minister of Education Chris Hipkins concedes the timing of the Taratahi interim liquidation is tough, especially for students and staff, and he says supporting them is a top priority.

Taratahi ag training left in limbo

The future of the major agricultural training institute Taratahi remains in limbo after it went into interim liquidation just before Christmas at the request of its board of trustees.

Telford enters new era

Lincoln University's transfer of its Telford agricultural training operation at Balclutha to Wairarapa-based Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre has been completed, on the payment of a token $1 for the campus and other assets.

Featured

New Image turns 40!

Auckland manufacturer and distributor of colostrum-based supplements, New Image International, celebrated its 40th anniversary this month.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter