Royal Agricultural Society of England says British agriculture needs new recruits (From Western Telegraph)

Royal Agricultural Society of England says British agriculture needs new recruits

9:30am Sunday 5th July 2009 in

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British agriculture must recruit 60,000 new entrants in the next ten years to maintain its current work force — and it must do that at a time when competition for entrants with other industries will be at its fiercest.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England has commissioned a report on the issues surrounding new entrant recruitment into farming and related sectors. Its conclusion is that unless the industry raises its game in promoting itself as an attractive, rewarding career destination, it is likely to lose out in the battle for a diminishing pool of available entrants.

Report author, Alan Spedding, said: “Farming is perceived as weak in public relations and communication skills. It must get across to potential entrants that the industry is complex, technical, challenging and satisfying. The industry’s current recruitment and promotion efforts do not compare well with image building for competing careers in the armed forces, NHS, teaching, science, engineering and the motor retail business. “Many of these groups are better resourced than farming ever could be, so there is a real need to make up for this by putting more effort where there will be most impact and, most important, by working together across the industry disciplines.”

The report acknowledges that the NFU made a start through its Why Young People Matter to Farming campaign launched in 2007, but agriculture in its broadest sense is unlikely to make a major impact as an industry unless all sectors — farming, agricultural engineering, agricultural science and all the support sectors — come together to promote their career potential.