THE final curtain has fallen on a popular school based agriculture program after the state government axed funding for the program.
About 600 school students from 13 different schools on the Western and Darling Downs attended the final Moo Baa Munch event in Toowoomba this week, in what was a bittersweet experience.
The kids got their hands dirty, learning about where their food comes from and technological advances in the agricultural industries.
AgForce CEO Michael Guerin said Moo Baa Munch was one of the most popular events co-ordinated by the now defunct School to Industry Partnership Program (SIPP).
"The SIPP team connects school students of all ages with agriculture and that's particularly important in an area like the Darling Downs that is renowned as one of Australia's agricultural powerhouses," Mr Guerin said.
"Events like Moo Baa Munch provide the first opportunity for many children to touch cattle and chickens, to learn that cotton is from a plant and to pull vegetables from a garden.
"It's also a chance for high school students to learn about the many and varied careers in agriculture and this week we have a record number of agribusinesses and industry representatives taking part, including businesses involved with seed testing, drones and computer mapping.
"It's fantastic to see so many children engaging with agriculture this week and learning about one of the fastest growing industries in the country, but it's also sad events like this won't be able to go ahead in the future due to state government funding cuts."
Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister Mark Furner justified the cuts, saying the program was no longer as relevant as it was when it was introduced in 2004.
This is despite the program reaching about 10,000 students a year, with just two part-time staff and an operating budget of $180,000 annually.
New technologies and advancements in the agricultural industry were a focus for senior students in this week’s program.
AgForce school to industry liaison officer Tanya Nagle said several new businesses had come on board this year to showcase innovation in the agricultural industry.
“This is super important as while about 300,000 people work in agriculture are on farms, there’s also another 1.6 million in the whole agribusiness supply chain,” Ms Nagle said. “It is important for the kids to know the options out there. It’s about being hands on and having face to face contact with the industry and potential employers.”
Mr Guerin said the SIPP remained as relevant as ever and called for the funding to be reinstated.
