College students are invited to enter the RABDF/Defra Farm Health Planning Award, a new awareness raising initiative for younger members of the industry with more than £1,000 prize money at stake.

All entrants are required to prepare a short essay demonstrating their understanding of the current barriers in adopting health planning on dairy and / or beef units, and how they would overcome those issues at farm level.

Open to students studying at an agriculture college in England, participating colleges are required to select the two best essays submitted by their students to go forward for assessment by a panel of judges comprising RABDF, Defra and industry representatives.

The winning student will receive a £500 cash prize, and a further £500 for his or her college to spend on a f arm health planning project . The remaining finalists will each receive £100. The awards will be presented at the Dairy Event, on Wednesday 19 September.

"During the last couple of years, RABDF has worked closely with the Farm Health Planning Project, a joint initiative between government and industry working  to encourage wider uptake of proactive health plans on livestock units," explains RABDF chief executive, Nick Everington. "While herd health plans are not new , this new award is designed to raise awareness among our future farmers   of the benefits of going that one step further and practicing proactive health planning on dairy and beef farms."

For further information on the RABDF/Defra Farm Health Planning Award, contact RABDF on 0845 4582711.