Sharp rise in interest in agriculture course at universities

School leavers are flocking to agricultural courses at universities across Australia in a sharp turnaround because of world food security fears, good graduate jobs and the desire to work with animals.

Applications for some agricultural courses have jumped by 50 to 90 per cent this year, while demand is up everywhere.

The University of Adelaide's Bachelor of Science (Animal Science) Degree has attracted 150 applications, but can cater for only 100 people, while its Bachelor of Agricultural Science Degree is up from 35 people last year to 55 this year.