Giving young farmers that winning edge

THIRTEEN young farmers from across Victoria have received scholarships of up to $10,000 to undertake agricultural training and study thanks to funding from the state government.

Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford announced the winners of the third Young Farmers Scholarship Awards in a ceremony at Parliament recently.

Recipients will receive grants of up to $5,000 to support agricultural training and study in areas such as farm management, business and financial literacy, risk management, and product development.

When they complete their studies, they will receive an additional funding boost of up to $5,000 to invest on-farm or in professional development – putting their new skills into practice.

The additional funding will help these young farmers apply their skills and secure jobs in the sector.

The $125,000 scholarship program is part of the state government’s ongoing investment to attract and support the next generation of farmers and ensure the future prosperity of Victoria’s $13.1 billion agriculture sector.

Twenty-five young people across regional Victoria have already benefitted from this training opportunity and are now putting their skills to work in our agriculture sector.

Examples of eligible courses include a Diploma in Agriculture, human resources training, business management courses, a Diploma of Agribusiness Management and a range of on-farm technical training.

Applications for next year’s scholarships will be open in early 2018 to farmers aged 35 or under.