Japan’s High Schoolers Learn about Animal Husbandry in Australia; Prepare to Be Ambassadors for Livestock Industry

By Ayako Ishiguro / Japan News Staff Writer

14:55 JST, August 15, 2024

High school students from across Japan studying livestock production recently visited Australia, where the industry is thriving. They were there to learn about the technology and knowledge used in animal husbandry overseas. And on Wednesday, 20 participants from 19 schools from Hokkaido to Okinawa enthusiastically presented their findings at a meeting in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

As more and more farmers are leaving the livestock industry due to rising feed prices and an aging workforce, the Japan Agricultural Exchange Council has been running the Japanese Future Livestock Students Program since 2018 as a way to develop the field’s next generation of leaders.

This year, the students spent eight days from Aug. 5 to Aug. 12 in Queensland, Australia, where they visited dairies, ranches and meat processing plants and also lived with farmers for three days to learn about the Australian livestock industry.

Yuzu Kai, 16, from Osaka Prefectural Agricultural High School, was impressed by how much consideration was given to animal welfare in Australia, where cattle graze on vast swaths of land. “In Australia, cows live longer than in Japan, and even large-scale farmers put the wellness of their cows first. I want to be a dairy farmer like that,” she said.

On the other hand, Aoto Hoshi, 17, from Miyagi Prefecture Agriculture High School, who says he loves cows, gained new respect for the Japanese style of barn keeping, with its strict hygiene and quick detection of disease. “I felt that the Japanese style suits me better because I love to take care of cows close up,” he said.

Participants in the program will also serve as ambassadors, promoting the appeal of livestock farming, sharing their experiences with others, especially those in the same generation, and posting about positive aspects of the farming on social media. Akihiko Kaito, the council’s operation division director, said, “Based on their love for the livestock industry, I hope that they will help convey its joys to people who are not usually involved in the industry, and at the same time encourage the farmers who are in the industry.”