We offer two annual scholarships of up to $3000 each to support agriculture and horticulture science students at undergraduate, post-graduate diploma or Honours level at either Lincoln, Waikato or Massey Universities.
Here’s what some of our past scholarship recipients have been up to.
After receiving the Perrin Ag scholarship and graduating from Lincoln University in 2021, I have been working as an Agribusiness Analyst for Westpac. It has been nine months and I have enjoyed my time so far, learning and growing in the role, working with a great team and helping farmers succeed financially. I look forward to where this position will take me and the future networking opportunities within the agriculture industry.
I’m very thankful to the team at Perrin Ag for their support throughout my degree at Massey University. While I’ve been studying, I had the opportunity to gain fantastic insight into the wool industry through working at Elco Direct Wool Buyers during my summer break. It was also great to get out on farms in my final year of university and discuss with farmers their farming systems.
Although COVID-19 cut short my final semester of studying on campus, I’m looking forward to working as a dairy farm assistant once I complete my degree. My aim is to gain more practical experience before progressing my career in New Zealand agriculture.
I completed a Masters in Finance at Massey University, majoring in Risk Management. My goal is to relate this back to primary production and help our large corporate businesses operating in the agricultural and horticultural sector.
I started with ANZ Bank as part of its graduate programme in February 2022 and will continue to study part-time to complete my Chartered Financial Analyst Level 1 qualification.
The scholarship from Perrin Ag has certainly helped me on this path.
Since graduating with the help of Perrin Ag’s scholarship, I’ve become a Senior Herd Manager on DairyNZ’s Scott Farm in Ruakura near Hamilton. Because it’s a research farm, there’s always plenty happening to keep you on your toes.
We have multiple trials happening simultaneously throughout the year. Some of my responsibilities include, managing the grazing of cows that are not on trial, managing the casual workers and helping train new staff. I am also the farm liaison for scientists on a four-year trial with 10 herds of 14 cows validating the Forage Value Index.
The variety of tasks keep my job interesting. In any one day, I could be spreading fertiliser, taking blood samples from cows, doing a grazing ride, attending a trial meeting, fencing and of course milking.
Since graduating from Lincoln University I’ve become a Consultant with Perrin Ag, based in Rotorua.
Half of my role involves overseeing farm properties, their staff and all the assets for absentee business owners, including reporting on progress. The other half of my role includes farm purchase and sale or lease arrangements including due diligence, recruitment, financial and business modelling, and reviews. I am also involved in consulting on pasture, environmental modelling, system and land use reviews, project reviews and modelling for large industry companies. I also run a couple of sheep and beef business groups. It’s a busy and varied role which I really enjoy.
I have also recently formed my own cattle business, Opal Genetics, showing, trading, and breeding Angus and Holstein Friesian cattle in New Zealand and Australia.
Since receiving the Perrin Ag Scholarship and graduating, I have become an Agribusiness partner at BNZ. I have been with BNZ for almost five years now, the past three based in Timaru as an Agribusiness Partner looking after South and Mid Canterbury.
Since receiving Perrin Ag’s scholarship, highlights include one month spent fencing in Fiji, before I started with the BNZ, and being part of the winning team at the 2020 Boehringer Ingelheim World Hereford Youth Competition.
Lee came to agribusiness consultancy via the unlikely pathway of a suburban Wellington upbringing, an Honours degree in plant science and a six-year career in the financial markets. In his role as the firm’s MD, Lee doesn’t get out on-farm as much as he used to but makes the most of it when he does. While having swapped the paddock for the boardroom, Lee continues to provide advice in the areas of farm business strategy, farm system innovation, corporate governance, investment analysis and economic research.
Outside of Perrin Ag, Lee loves to spend his time coaching rugby, watching his three kids play sport and gardening with his wife Haidee.
“I love the challenge of empowering people in our primary sectors and the excitement of seeing clients achieving their aspirations. If we can encourage farmers to engage with their consumers, take a more active involvement in their supply chains and view their businesses through a wider lens, then I think our industries have a great future.”
