Rural investment company Craigmore Sustainables has launched a new scholarship for postgraduate study and research in agriculture from next year.
General manager of farming Stuart Taylor said the Craigmore Sustainables and Wilson Family Sustainability for Primary Industries Scholarship in conjunction with Lincoln University would be awarded to a student undertaking postgraduate study and research in agriculture.
As part of the $2000 annual scholarship, recipients would also have the opportunity to conduct research on a Craigmore dairy farm.
Last year, the Craigmore Farming team was awarded the John Wilson Memorial Trophy at the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Awards.
The award, named in honour of former Fonterra chairman the late John Wilson, came with a cash prize of $10,000 which Craigmore chose to put into this new scholarship fund.
Mr Taylor believed the opportunity to give back to the sector and foster future talent was essential.
"Our young people are the ones that will farm our land in the future, and they’re also going to be the ones to come up with the innovation and big ideas that will solve some of the challenges the sector is facing around biodiversity loss and climate change.
"The creation of this scholarship transforms the responsible dairying award to a long-term focus for Craigmore as sustainability is at the heart of everything we do."
Craigmore also sees the scholarship as an opportunity to establish an ongoing relationship with individuals whose research adds value to the primary industry sector.
The scholarship was the second Craigmore had offered in conjunction with Lincoln University — the Craigmore Sustainables Farming Scholarship was established in 2014.
