This year, Massey University recorded its biggest intake into agricultural qualifications for at least 25 years.
At Lincoln University, the Bachelor of Agricultural Science and Diploma in Agriculture programmes both attracted 20% more enrolments than last year. Enrolments doubled for the new Bachelor of Agribusiness and Food Marketing and the Master of Science in Food Innovation programmes.
The lift would help fill the skills gap identified last year in the report People Powered: Building capabilities to keep New Zealand's primary industries internationally competitive, a collaboration between Beef and Lamb New Zealand, the Ministry for Primary Industries and DairyNZ.
The report highlighted the need for an extra 50,000 people to work in the primary sector by 2025, if growth targets were to be achieved.