Farmers and dentists tie on ‘most trusted professions' list

Dead heat for farmers and dentists on ‘most trusted professions’ list

Farmers are tied with dentists as New Zealand’s fourteenth most trusted profession in Readers Digest New Zealand's Most Trusted Professions 2014.

“It is gratifying to see farmers held in such respect by this Reader’s Digest survey,” says Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers President and 2014 Landcorp Agricultural Communicator of the Year.

“It is telling the company you keep. Being well within the top 20 means farmers are there with the professions that defend you and your animals, the people who feed you, the people who educate and the people who literally move you.

“Like any profession we have our share of ratbags but this survey demonstrates that most New Zealanders know farmers are hard working decent folk who genuinely try our hardest.

“Given this is my final few weeks as Federated Farmers President it is good news.

“It affirms my belief that despite the ribbing farmers occasionally get, the public understand that we are generally honourable people. I could bag those who do the ribbing since they appear towards the end of this list but that would be unseemly.

“Let me say that farming is a noble and honourable profession that I am humbled and proud to be a part of.

“It is a profession I genuinely encourage our best and brightest to look into.

“Gateway programmes, like the one launched at Fieldays by St Peters Cambridge in conjunction with Lincoln University, provide a template for schools in town and country to replicate. They are about inspiring the agribusiness talent we need to grow sustainably.

“To see what opportunities exist are further enhanced by NZX Agri’s brilliant landyourdreamjob.co.nz initiative. These are backed up by data in the 2014 Federated Farmers/Rabobank Farm Employee Remuneration Survey, also launched at Fieldays.

“As I prepare to leave office as Federated Farmers President, I am pleased to see farming heading in the right direction for trust,” Mr Wills concluded.

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