Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Royal Agricultural College (A 32(a))
In answer to your questions on agricultural
training:
1. Significant training is available concerning
farm assurance schemes. Farmers are aware of the importance of
the food chain but have difficulty in identifying which would
be the relevant food chain training for them.
2. Students at the RAC spend one third of
their time on business studies and one fifth of their time studying
environment grant schemes and issues regarding conservation and
woodland management. Farmers are able to attend conferences about
the food chain and to visit abattoirs and food processing plants.
It is sometimes difficult to enter a dialogue with the big five
retailers because they seem reluctant to talk to farmer groups.
3. At the Royal Agricultural College each
of our three faculties have a School Advisory Council that includes
a significant number of industry members as well as academics
and researchers. Course content is formulated in consultation
with the industry. Additionally, all colleges would have curriculum
development committees that would have outside members who would
help design the structure and content of an educational programme.
Graduates should have the following qualities and
knowledge:
Knowledge and understanding of agriculture
Ethics
Health and Safety
General knowledge in current affairs
Application skills
Communication skills
Practical ability
Risk Assessment
Asset management
Asset Appraisal
Property Management
Countryside Management
Environmental Management
Regulations
Customer care
Product Awareness
Appreciation of the industry
I enclose a presentation that our final year
BSc (Hons) Agriculture students gave last Wednesday. [1]
22 February 2002
1 Not printed. Back
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