Fears for ‘new blood’ in farming as agriculture college fees rocket

PROSPECTIVE young farmers could find it increasingly difficult to get into the profession it is warned, after a swathe of the country’s top agricultural colleges announced huge increases in the fees they will charge to students.

Most of the universities running specific agriculture and farming degrees will be looking to charge the full £9,000 a term from next year, prompting concern young people will be deterred from entering an industry crying out for new entrants, and undermining long-term efforts to promote it as a professional career option.

Figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show 60,000 new farmers will be needed in the coming years to cope with demand – the current average age of a British farmer is thought to be over 60.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Among those to confirm the higher fees are Harper Adams University College, Cirencester’s Royal Agricultural College, Reading University, Nottingham University, Newcastle University and the University of Lincoln who run specific agriculture and bioscience-related courses and are all popular choices for prospective farmers .

The Royal Agricultural College said its decision to charge the full £9,000 per year was taken “in the light of significant cuts in Government funding”.

Both of Yorkshire’s principal agricultural colleges, Bishop Burton near Beverley and Askham Bryan near York, are still considering any increases to charges.

The subject was among the key issues facing the industry discussed at the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs conference in Blackpool, which was attended by thousands of young farmers all over the country earlier this month.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Labour seized upon the high fees to suggest a barrier was being created for new entrants into farming, saying £9,000 fees were “looking to be the norm for agricultural institutions”.

Shadow Environment Minister Willie Bain said: “This latest news that most higher education institutions specialising in agriculture are seeking to charge the maximum allowed under the Government’s new rules will be a bitter blow for many seeking to enter the sector.

“We want UK farming to lead the world in innovation and growth and that means encouraging more students to study at a higher level. Defra’s own figures show that we need to attract 60,000 new entrants to the sector, many of whom are likely to require higher level skills. Yet, the Tory-led Government is making it harder for the next generation to get on.”

The tuition fees issue is one of the most challenging the coalition Government has had to face, leading to widespread protests.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jeremy Walker, chairman of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: “As I understand it one of the problems with the idea is that you will have to borrow quite a lot of money to go but that you will recoup it in earnings once you have got a degree.

“However this might not necessarily happen in the agricultural industry as farmer’s sons and daughters might go home, get a considerably smaller salary working there than they might do on their own.

“What we do not want is youngsters baulking at the idea of going into further education. We want more and more skilled people going into the industry and need better equipped people now more than ever.”

Mr Walker added that the rises in fees might result in a students opting for more practical courses rather than studying at degree level.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Michael Smith, Director of Policy, Research and Development at Lantra, which promotes skill levels in land and environmental industries, said: “The impact of increased tuition fees may be seen across all sectors of the economy, not just the land-based sector.

“We are fortunate within land-based and environmental industries that there are a range of entry and progression routes for careers in the sector.

“Apprenticeships for example, perhaps at higher levels, may provide opportunities to earn while you learn.”

Related topics: