Students from Wanganui Collegiate were part of a group who took part in a scholarship programme for pupils interested in a career in agriculture.
To attract the best and brightest students into agribusiness and agri-tech, the New Zealand AgriFood Investment Week, the Central Economic Development Agency and Talent Central teamed up for the new youth programme.
Thirty students from Collegiate, St Peter's College, Palmerston North Boys High School and Palmerston North Girls High School, Feilding High School, Queen Elizabeth College and Freyberg High School are taking part in the programme.
The students had the opportunity to visit key players in the agribusiness world - including staff from FMG, PGG Wrightson, Fonterra, ASB and NZXAgri - to gain an understanding of the diverse roles available in the agriculture sector. They also visited Massey University to investigate technology, engineering and food technology options.
Talent Central chairwoman, Margaret Kouvelis, said the scholarship programme was a response to the Government's estimate that the country will need an extra 50,000 people working in agriculture by 2025.