New €2,000 bursary aiming to give agri students 'a bit of a leg up'
A new €2,000 student bursary has been announced by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA).
The association’s president Sean McNamara said that the farming sector needs to back young people coming through agricultural education.
McNamara was speaking ahead of the launch of ICSA’s €2,000 Agricultural Student Bursary, which will take place at the National Ploughing Championships this week.
He said: “We believe in the next generation and we want to give them a bit of a leg up.
“These are young people who have already chosen agriculture and are building their future in farming.
“We want to support them on that journey and show them that their future matters to us.”
The bursary is open to students enrolled in agricultural education and is aimed at supporting them as they pursue their studies and prepare for a future in agriculture.
‘Real difference’
McNamara said: “There are plenty of costs involved in agricultural education, and we want to make things a little bit easier for one young person and show that ICSA is behind them.
“We also need young people to get involved and have a voice in farming.
"The decisions being made today will shape the farming sector they will inherit, so their views and ideas matter.”
Applicants do not have to be existing ICSA members.
They must be enrolled in an agricultural course, join ICSA at the €50 student membership rate, and complete the bursary application.
Membership for non-students is €130 per annum.
The lower rate for students is part of ICSA’s wider effort to encourage more young people in agricultural education to become involved with the organisation.
McNamara said: “ICSA is fighting for the future of beef, sheep, and suckler farming, and the next generation has to be part of that.
“We need young people around the table and we need to hear their ideas, their concerns and their ambitions for farming.
“We can talk about generational renewal, but we also have to do something about it.”
He added that supporting young people means giving them opportunities and making sure they know they are valued.
“This is our way of saying we believe in you.
“We want to help you on your farming journey. And we want your generation to have a voice in farming," the ICSA president said.
Further details on the application process will be announced following the launch.
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