A new deer farming course is on the drawing board, with the first intake likely to start in April next year.
The proposed course, which is the brainchild of Primary ITO and Motivate - a Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) and New Zealand Deer Farmers Association (NZDFA) group, aims to boost the support and knowledge offered to young farmers getting into the industry.
Project manager Tony Pearse, of NZDFA, said participants would have 12 months to complete the course, which would include about 10 days off farm.
Topics would include breeding, mating, rearing young stock, fawning and handling and treating.
The course would be offered in various regions within the Primary ITO territory, which coincides with the NZDFA branch network and the demand of industry.
``Optimistically, we hope [we are] ready to go as a completed resource by March 2017; and would hope to offer the first course with the new resource in April, which fits in with the practical and seasonal requirements of deer farming.''
Mr Pearse said training courses offered in deer husbandry and participant numbers had been ``very low'' for the past 10 years. With that in mind, Primary ITO and Motivate wanted to encourage new learners to consider formal qualifications.
There are between 1850 and 1900 deer farming entities in New Zealand. Of those, 75% are also sheep and or beef livestock farms.
To meet growth, it was clear a tailored resource was required, he said.
Once it had been developed and approved as a fit-for-purpose resource, the course would be offered via the Primary ITO network, with deer industry promotion at national and regional level.
``Courses are prescribed by the specifics of the qualification based on the number of Level 3 credits required to complete the various modules. It should take nine months,'' he said.
The modules would be practical and theory-based.
``[The] industry will support the training providers and use a model, which sees the trainees coming together for block class days,'' Mr Pearse said.
``This will allow some cohesion in the group and allow industry [experts] to attend and contribute. These days will be hosted on top deer farms in the relevant region where practical demonstrations of sound deer management will also be shown, alongside some theory and extension,'' he said.
NZ Young Farmers was among the groups supportive of the new training initiative, a concept CEO Terry Copeland wants the group to get involved in.
``We believe it is vital for our organisation to get involved in Motivate as we believe anything done to raise the skill levels of those in the Primary Industry will be critical to future success,'' he said.
``We commend the NZ Deer Farmers Association for being proactive in identifying the need for further training and then following through with an important project in Motivate, that will make a significant difference to their industry.''
Mr Copeland said life-long learning across all Primary Industry sectors, including the deer industry was what NZ Young Farmers was all about.
He said there was not a large percentage of NZ Young Farmer members in the deer industry, but hoped that would soon change.
``. . .we aim to increase engagement in coming months and see Motivate as the perfect way to do that.''
- by Alexia Johnston at the Timaru Courier