The Lincoln University student is in his final year of a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture and is the recipient of Perrin Ag’s 2023 John Perrin Scholarship, receiving $3000 towards his final year of study.
Mr Dudin was raised on his parents’ dairy farm in Winton and gained experience as a general farm assistant on an 850ha sheep and beef farm in Dipton during the winter and university holidays.
"Mum and dad always involved us in the farm at home, so I had a pretty good handle on dairy operations. but I wanted to learn more about sheep and beef farming."
He took forestry and water papers in his final year and completed a Māori language paper, which deepened his interest in Māori agribusiness.
"While I’m still learning, it seems the approaches used in Māori agribusiness could be the way forward for New Zealand.
"We have a unique point of difference, and I am interested in the principles of sustainability and kaitiakitanga [guardianship and conservation] that are interwoven through Māori agribusiness.
"At its most basic level, it’s about future-proofing our businesses for hundreds of years using a sustainable, Māori worldview approach to farming," he said.
The forestry paper illustrated the huge potential for sheep and beef farmers to integrate forestry into their systems, he said.
"The key takeaway from that paper was how you can use forestry and trees and integrate them into traditional pastoral systems, not just for emissions trading scheme benefit but wider environmental benefit."
Before studying agriculture, he had his sights set on a career in banking.
"As I’ve gone through my study, I’ve realised I want to work directly with farmers. New Zealand farming is going through the biggest change since the discovery of nitrogen fertiliser, and I want to be able to use my skills to help farmers navigate that."
The scholarship would help him focus on his studies and reinforced he was on the right path.
"Throughout the application process, I had to talk about my papers, what I’m studying, and my experience.
‘‘It reinforced to me that I am on the right track and that my thinking resonates with others.’’
He hoped to pursue a career in agribusiness with a focus on sustainability.
"I want to feel like I’m doing something bigger than just working for myself and to feel like we’re doing the work as a collective, alongside farmers."
