Three of Western Australia's leading primary producers have been awarded Nuffield Farming Scholarships for 2020.
Announced at the Nuffield National Conference Annual Awards Dinner in Brisbane this week, the 2020 Nuffield Scholars will each receive a $30,000 bursary to research new agricultural technologies and techniques, and visit leading farm enterprises around the world on a 16-week travel program.
The 2020 Nuffield Scholars from Western Australia are Albertus Hanekom, Kununurra, Andrew Todd, Dowerin and Paula-Lee Pownall, West Coolup.
Chair of Nuffield's Western Australia State Committee, and 2014 Scholar, Nick Gillett, said the 2020 Western Australia Scholars and their study topics reflected the diverse and entrepreneurial spirit of the state's agricultural sector.
"Nuffield Scholars have played an instrumental role in pioneering new agricultural practices and industries across Western Australia, and I am excited to announce our 2020 Scholars, who demonstrate these qualities so clearly," Nick said.
"Our 2020 Scholars will research a range of topics, from ways aquaculture and the Barramundi industry can grow more seafood and better manage stock levels, to scaling an insect production business using world-class technology, and encouraging growing farms to take the leap to owner-manager structures.
"With the generous support of their investors, these Scholars are about to start the journey of a lifetime as they travel the world to research cutting-edge study topics, and visit leading farm enterprises across all corners of the globe."
The 2020 Western Australia Scholars, and their investors, are:
Albertus Hanekom from Kununurra, supported by the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation, will research pathways for the aquaculture and Barramundi industries to grow more seafood and better manage stock levels.
Andrew Todd from Dowerin, supported by the Grains Research & Development Corporation, will research ways that growing family farms can take the leap from an owner-operator structure to an owner-manager structure.
Paula-Lee Pownall from West Coolup, supported by the WA branch of Nuffield Australia, will investigate how to scale an insect production facility using the latest technology and research.
She will also study the policies, procedures and supply chains of the emerging insect protein industry.
