OPINION: The Hound notes that a new study, carried out by CQUniversity in Queensland, has found similar issues to NZ with a real lack of agricultural knowledge among young Aussies.
The study identified a clear absence of agricultural understanding among Australian school students and highlighted a need for more agricultural education programmes.
The research found many students regarded agriculture to be a ‘low-tech’ industry, with four in five primary students and three in five secondary students believing commercial milking of dairy cows occurs by hand, rather than machine.
The study also showed student awareness of agricultural careers was also limited.
A key finding of the study showed one of the biggest factors impacting students’ lack of agricultural knowledge was their low level of exposure to farms and farming life.