However, a University of Otago professor believes a broader range of degrees should be eligible for the programme.
MPI On Farm Support director John Roche said the ministry was expanding its On Farm Support Science Scholarship programme for tertiary students as part of its efforts to boost on-the-ground extension services and advice.
"Ensuring farmers and growers are assisted to adapt to change will help contribute to the government’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of exports within 10 years," Dr Roche said.
The programme was in its second year and offered six scholarships, worth a total of $30,000, for the 2025 academic year to tertiary students enrolled in relevant agriculture, horticulture, science, or viticulture degrees.
"Applicants must be studying at Massey, Lincoln, Otago, or Waikato universities, or the Eastern Institute of Technology or Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and have completed their first year of study.
"The profession can be hugely rewarding, especially if you like getting out in an orchard or paddock and supporting farmers to improve business performance with advice backed by science and analysis."
Scholarship recipients receive mentoring and development opportunities from the ministry as part of the programme.
Applications close on September 16.
In Southern Rural Life in November last year, University of Otago agricultural students called on the government to allow them to be able to apply for the scholarships, which were only open to students at Massey and Lincoln.
University of Otago agricultural innovation programme director Craig Bunt, of Dunedin, said there was a "shared sense of satisfaction" between students and his colleagues that students majoring in agricultural innovation at Otago were now eligible to apply for the scholarships.
"However, there is also a strong consensus that a much broader range of degrees should be eligible.
It was encouraging the eligibility criteria had been expanded to include more tertiary institutions but it was puzzling that students who were eligible last year, such as those studying agribusiness at Massey and wine sciences at Lincoln, were not eligible this year.
"Meanwhile, students at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, and the University of Waikato, studying for similar degrees, are now eligible."
Although the list of eligible degrees at Lincoln and Massey had been expanded, certain degrees at these institutions were now excluded, Prof Bunt said.
In contrast, the additional tertiary institutions have been allocated only a single eligible degree, which essentially covers some of the degree options that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at Lincoln or Massey.
Supporting farmers and growers to adapt and contribute to the government’s goal of doubling export value within 10 years would require a next generation of on-farm support with a far broader range of skills and education than what was covered by the scholarship programme.
"A BSc student at Otago University majoring in plant biotechnology with a minor in agricultural innovation, for instance, represents just one of many beneficial degree combinations. This particular degree, although currently excluded, would ideally equip a student with the skills and knowledge needed to address significant changes in agriculture, such as the potential establishment of a genetic modification regulatory agency."
Across the agricultural sector, professionals in on-farm support roles possess a wide array of degrees from numerous tertiary institutions, far beyond the restrictive list of those eligible for the scholarships at present.
"Expanding the eligibility to reflect this diversity would better prepare the sector for future challenges."
MPI On Farm Support acting director Tim Stevenson said the programme was designed to support tertiary students who had a genuine interest in joining the agriculture and horticultural advisory sector.
The programme launched last year.
"We initially accepted applications from students enrolled in 11 degrees at Massey and Lincoln universities. Massey and Lincoln were chosen because of their well-established agricultural and horticultural science programmes with long-standing traditions of producing primary sector advisers.
"This year we have decided to widen eligibility for the programme and have tripled the number of institutions involved. Students studying 17 degrees across six universities or institutes of technology are now eligible to apply.
The programme would continue to be reviewed and whether eligibility should be widened would be considered, he said.
