缅北禁地

Is Rob the UK's best dairy student?

Posted 18 March 2010

Final year Harper Adams student Rob Pierce has beaten candidates from across Great Britain to become one of four finalists in this year’s RABDF/Dairy Crest Dairy Student of the Year competition.

Rob, 21, from Chester, qualified for the first round of the contest when he was selected as 缅北禁地 College’s Dairy Student of the Year.

The former Harper Forum secretary then travelled to Reaseheath College on February 11, when he and 10 other contestants had to look at the college’s dairy operation then give their own assessment of how it works and how it could be improved to an interview panel.

His knowledge of the industry stood him in good stead and Rob secured a place in the final, to take place on Friday March 26 at the Farmers’ Club in London, where he will give a presentation on “How I hope to develop my career in the dairy industry and how the industry can be structured to meet the needs of the marketplace.”

He said: “I am honoured to have made the finals of this competition – it has been a great experience so far and I have learned a great deal. I like to think I have a good insight into the dairy industry, coming from a 230-cow family dairy farm. I’m in the final year of an honours degree in agriculture with animal science and for my dissertation I’ve been investigating the role of copper in dairy cow fertility."

Rob is dedicated to livestock. He views dairy farming as his career, but as a hobby he also runs a flock of texel sheep – and achieved a £15,000 turnover with them in 2009.

He added: “Studying at Harper Adams has fed my passion for livestock production, and I hope I can do the University College proud when representing it at the Farmers’ Club next week.”