Students at Harper Adams put through their paces

Posted 17 July 2006

DETERMINED teams of students at Harper Adams University College have been put through their paces during a business project.

Thirty-seven HND Agriculture and Foundation degree third year students were put under stringent interview procedures by three managers from HSBC Agriculture and three academics from the university college in June.

The students, who were in teams of three or four, were told to assess an appropriate rent in a bid to tender for a new tenancy on a nearby farm.

As part of the exercise the students had to formulate a 10-year Farm Business Tenancy agreement a business plan for the farm – which they visited in May.

They were also required, among other things, to prove they could afford to pay the rent tendered by farming in both a commercial and environmentally acceptable way.

Dr Graham Tate, leader of the Farm Business Case study module, supervised the project: “The students were definitely put through their paces during this project and all worked extremely hard to make sure their project was a viable business proposition.

“We at Harper Adams are thankful to HSBC who were an integral part of this project and gave the students involved advice and guidance on their projects.”