Regardless of Location Farmers Similar Around the Globe

The opportunity to travel the around the world and meet and visit with farmers in different countries about their challenges and issues is a powerful experience — one that the Nuffield Farm Scholarship Program provides its participants.
New Zealand Dairy farmer and Nuffield Scholar Satwant Singh recently visited the Western U.S. while on her global tour — following a quick tour of Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Canada prior to arriving in the U.S. She shares on of her overall impressions and takeaways of her travel experience
Singh: “We’re all from different countries. We’re all experiencing something different. We’re all working individually but we are all the same. Farmer — be it in China, Canada, New Zealand or Australia — we’re still famers. We’re family oriented. We’re working hard on our patches. We’re very isolated individuals but we’re definitely passionate and determined people. Even though the challenges we face — we’re all in commodity markets — we’re trying to aim for value add. We’re all facing the same challenges and financial pressures — be it no matter where you are. It is great to see how communities come together — very community-orientated around the world. Every farming community you go to.”
She is also learning more about price volatility and risk management with the futures market while in the U.S. She continues
Singh: “We’ve only just begun a market in Humble Powder but farmers aren’t — there is no direction there. We need to get more farmers in the market to grow more liquidity on the market. So it all about learning what they are doing here so I can take something back that farmers in New Zealand can relate to.”