A new star on the international travel calendar is emerging - the Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station.

In the last two years students from France, Morocco and Namibia have come half-way around the world to study with NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) researchers in Cowra.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said the Department’s reputation has spread across the globe as university students seek highly prized places with NSW DPI.

"At the moment two final-year undergraduates from Montpellier SupAgro, Vincent Vazquez and Emilie Le Floch, are here to specialise in sheep reproduction and lamb survival," Minister Macdonald said.

"And Saoussan Khliji from Morocco, who has been sponsored by the European Union’s Agris Mundus program, is completing the research component of her Master’s degree."

NSW DPI meat scientist, David Hopkins, said Ms Khliji is working on the Cooperative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation Information Nucleus next generation meat project which aims to ensure lamb maintains its premium market position.

"Saoussan is compiling data from 1100 responses to surveys conducted in Dubbo and Canberra, which asked consumers to rate a selection of lamb loin cuts for colour appeal and links those scores with laboratory colour readings," Dr Hopkins said.

Mr Vazquez and Ms Le Floch, who were attracted to Cowra by NSW DPI’s reputation as a world-leader in livestock research and the opportunity to enhance their English-speaking skills, are looking forward to field-work during the current lambing season.

Interview and photo opportunities can be organised during lambing from July until mid-August.

Digital photographs available bernadette.york@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Further reading

Lamb marketing

Media contact: Bernadette York, NSW DPI (02) 6391 3936 or 0427 773 785