Aaron Sanderson, YAPs committee Chair, said that he was amazed at the Higher Education Base Funding Review recommendation, given the recent Inquiries into agricultural education highlighting the need for skilled workers.

“Increasing the fees for agricultural courses when the industry is already experiencing a lack of skilled workers is ridiculous.

“With 2012 being the Australian Year of the Farmer, this is the ideal time for the Federal Government to demonstrate that it values agriculture as an industry and for its role in food security for this country”.

Raising the fees for agricultural courses will have a detrimental impact into future enrolments, Mr Sanderson said.

“Many of our members have said that education is already pricing itself out of the market for those who wish to study agriculture. Increasing the fees further will place further limits on those who want to get an agricultural degree.

“If we want to have a strong and healthy industry that’s sustainable long term, we need to ensure that agricultural students aren’t priced out of the industry because they can’t afford to study.

“The Government must reject these recommendations and focus on making agriculture a national priority” Mr Sanderson said.