Applications now open for scholarship trip to Mexico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19/07/2011

Applications now open for scholarship trip to Mexico

Beef + Lamb New Zealand and New Zealand Young Farmers are pleased to announce that applications are now open for a unique and exciting agricultural scholarship.

The 2011 Conference for the Five Nations Beef Alliance and Young Ranchers Programme is being held in Mexico in mid-October and Beef + Lamb New Zealand is offering a scholarship for a young New Zealander to represent New Zealand at the conference.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand People and Capability Manager, Diane Falconer said the scholarship offers the recipient a chance to represent and promote New Zealand beef as well as helping to foster international relations within the beef industry.

“It’s a chance to gain valuable international connections to benefit New Zealand beef farming - which is the driver for B+LNZ’s support and investment.”
New Zealand is a member of the Five Nations Beef Alliance along with Canada, Mexico, Australia and the USA. Almost half of the world’s beef and cattle exports come from these five nations.

The FNBA was created in the early 1980’s when promoting trade reforms was an important part of its agenda and recently the Alliance has been strongly supportive of global trade rules that are risk and science based. The FNBA launched The Young Ranchers Programme in 2010 and it aims to attract young leaders from each nation who are passionate about the future direction of the beef industry.

Young Farmers CEO Richard Fitzgerald says applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 32, have knowledge of and a career pathway in the beef industry and be able to speak on behalf of the New Zealand beef industry in an international forum. The scholarship recipient will also be required to report back to New Zealand beef meetings post conference.

“This is both a personal development opportunity for a young New Zealander and the chance to build leadership capability in the sector.”

ENDS