The Glendale Agricultural Society (GAS) has announced an opportunity of a lifetime for a Northumberland farming candidate, as they announce their search to find a Next Generation Candidate.
As a member of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth (RASC) the GAS are able to nominate a candidate to send on the 27th RASC Conference to be held in Singapore 2nd – 4th November 2016.
For the first time ever the three day RASC Conference will be held in Asia at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore. The chosen candidate will attend the full conference where they will hear about how agriculture is at a crossroads with rapid unbanisation and climate uncertainty.
The candidate will get an extensive look at how agriculture is striving to bridge the rural-urban divide, along with the opportunity to network with many other commonwealth agricultural professionals.
Simon Orpwood, a member of the GAS and Trustee of the RASC, commenting on said: “The conference is an excellent opportunity for any young person looking to further their career in the agricultural industry, from a game-keeper to a farm advisor anyone is encouraged to apply. The networking prospects and the knowledge that can be gleamed from other countries, who participate, can be integral to the development of a career back here in the UK.”
Matthew Frater of Boulmer Hall Farm, was the chosen Next Generation candidate back in 2012 for the GAS, which was the first time a candidate had been sent by the society. During his trip Matthew visited the conference in Zambia where the focus at the event was how to feed the world.
Commenting on his experience Matthew said: “I would urge any young person involved in the agricultural industry to take full advantage of this experience. The information I gained, and contacts made, have stood me in good stead in the four years since my trip. I met a lot of people across in Zambia from other areas of the commonwealth, who I still keep in touch with today.
“I came back to the UK with an understanding of the diversity of the agricultural industry on a world scale, and the opportunities it has for young people.”
A scholarship for this trip is available from the GAS where they will provide a contribution towards their expenses. The GAS will also support the chosen candidate in obtaining any necessary funding. The candidate must be under the age of 40, with an involvement in agriculture, and who also has the potential to contribute to the long term face of agriculture in the region, country and commonwealth.
