"Every year the Faculty of AgriSciences financially supports students who show academic potential but who would, without support, be unable to further their studies. We are therefore extremely grateful for the way in which our industry partners and other supporters back our annual golf day, thereby strengthening the faculty's bursary fund that is used to support financially needy students."

This is the message from Prof Danie Brink, acting dean of the Faculty of AgriScience, who is looking forward to the seventh annual AgriScience golf day that will take place on Thursday 17 November.

"The Dean's Fund of the Faculty of AgriScience provides partial support to some of our current and future undergraduate and postgraduate students. This ensures that enough expertise is made available to the South African agricultural and food industries to allow these sectors to flourish," explains Prof Brink.

The golf day is held at the De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate. With 36 teams that have entered, it is the biggest event of its kind held at De Zalze.   

The Faculty is grateful for the prizes and the tees that have been sponsored by industry partners.

The co-sponsors of this year's event are cheese manufacturer, Lancewood, the provider of comprehensive crop care services, Nexus ^AG, and plant nutrition company, Yara Cape.

Lancewood

Although Lancewood is a regular supporter of the Faculty's golf day, it is the company's first year as co-sponsor of the event. The company is renowned for its award-winning range of cheese and dairy products. Lancewood regularly supports similar events.

Maans Ammon, Lancewood's national trade marketing manager, hopes that more students will consider choosing a career in the diary industry as expertise is such an important aspect of the industry's success. Ammon says milk production in South Africa is under enormous pressure as a result of the drought and the huge demand for dairy products.

"We are concerned about future production as the number of dairy farmers decline each year," says Ammon. "It would appear that the expertise in the dairy industry is decreasing."

Nexus^AG

It is already the third year that Nexus ^AG is involved. The company provides sustainable crop care services to local agricultural providers, such as crop protection, plant nutrition and soil enhancement. The company therefore does business within the agricultural sector.

According to Jacques du Preez, executive manager of Nexus ^AG in Paarl, it is crucial to provide opportunities to the agricultural leaders of the future. "In order to ensure worldwide food security, it is vital to invest in agricultural expertise. This means investing in training at tertiary institutions such as Stellenbosch University's Faculty of AgriSciences."

In addition to their involvement with the golf day, Nexus supports five educational bursaries at postgraduate, undergraduate and school level. Four bursary recipients are currently studying at Stellenbosch University in agriculture-related fields.

Yara Cape

Yara International provides plant nutritional products to the primary agricultural sector in more than 150 countries. Yara Cape has a marketing network for products and services for all crop types across the Western, Southern and Eastern Cape.

The golf day is not the only way by which the company supports the Faculty's endeavours. Yara also provides three postgraduate bursaries to students in the Agronomy and Horticultural Science departments and supports research projects in those departments. The company furthermore donates the plant nutritional products that are used by the Department of Agronomy. 

"We consider the SU Faculty of AgriScience to be a crucial role player and partner in the agricultural sector in the broadening of the knowledge base in the field and the training of young agricultural scientists," explains Jurie de Kock, marketing manager of Yara Cape.

He hopes that the company's support of the golf day will contribute to quality agricultural training for people with a passion for the industry.

"If the South African agricultural sector is managed well, it has, despite many challenges, a burgeoning future, and this is why knowledge and expertise is so essential," reckons De Kock. "Our company's philosophy also values knowledge highly and therefore our slogan is 'Knowledge grows.'"

• According to Carin Bruce of the Faculty of AgriScience, and organiser of the golf day, the playlist for the day is already full, but financial contributions to this valuable fundraising initiative can still be made by industry partners and alumni. For more information, contact her at [email protected] or 021 808 9047.