Six third-level Agricultural science students, including Mairead Fox from Moate, have received The Agricultural Science Association’s (ASA ) professional work experience travel bursaries.
The bursaries, announced last week by the ASA and the Irish Farmers Journal, are designed to encourage Irish students to broaden their knowledge and travel internationally to gain experience in the global agri-food sector.
Mairead Fox, a third year agricultural science student at UCD, will travel to Missouri in the USA where she will work with Emerald Dairies in Carthage for a period of three months. Her work on the spring dairy farm will include calving cows, calf rearing, milking and breeding.
Speaking about the opportunity, she said: “I hope to get an insight into the grassland management on the farm and learn more about grass utilisation and efficiency - skills which can be implemented at home in Ireland.”
This is the third year in which the ASA and Irish Farmers Journal have come together to reward third-year students who opt to do the work experience element of their course overseas.
Derrie Dillon, ASA president, said: “As the professional body for the agri-food sector, the Agricultural Science Association aims to encourage and support the professional development of our Agricultural Science students in order to equip them with the skills to continue to lead our industry forward.
“We were really impressed with the standard of applications this year and we look forward to hearing updates on how the six students selected develop on a personal and professional level over the coming months.”
