Twenty-eight farmers from 12 different countries visited Quartz Hill Station in Canterbury as part of the 2023 Rabobank Global Farmers Masterclass (GFMC).

The GFMC is an agri-learning program in which leading farmers from around the globe meet to address food insecurity.

The program kicked off on November 27 in Hamilton and finished on December 6 in Queenstown.

The masterclass program featured presentations from top agricultural thinkers and business experts, interactive workshops, and visits to various agribusiness operations in the North and South Island.

Event facilitator and Rabobank senior analyst Emma Higgins says the masterclass participants are a selection of top farmers worldwide.

“They have been selected on the basis of how they operate and what they are looking to achieve in the sustainability field.

“And obviously, they are top performers as well.”

The visit to Quartz Hill Station included a four-wheel drive farm tour presented by station owner Dan Harper, lunch on top of the farm, speakers and dinner at the station wool shed.

Farmers attending the event are from a diverse range of farming operations, including dairy, sheep, beef, and banana and cocoa growers.

Five New Zealand farmers participated in the GFMC, including two from the South Island -North Otago-based sheep and beef farmer Grant McNaughton and Northern Southland-based livestock and cropping farmer Michael Wilkins.

The first GFMC was held in 2012, and has been held in Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil and Zaire.

“We’ve hosted part of the program before, but never in its entirety.

“We are really proud to host this from start to finish and also proud to show off the country as well.”

Higgins said one of the major benefits of the GFMC is the connections made between event participants.

“We are connecting members from all over the world together, with the idea of making those enduring connections that will help them in life, across their businesses and personally as well.”

Rabobank New Zealand manager for country banking Bruce Weir said he was ‘rapt’ when New Zealand was confirmed as the location for the 2023 event.

“Not only does GFMC provide a chance for the New Zealand business to host some farmers and growers from right across the globe, but it also gives us an opportunity to highlight some of our country’s outstanding agricultural operations and to demonstrate why New Zealand is a global leader in farming best practices.”

by Claire Inkson