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With increasing numbers of undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolling in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Western Australia (UWA), its School of Agricultural and Resource Economics has appointed two new lecturers.

Assistant Professors Dr James Fogarty and Dr Amin Mugera bring expertise in the economics of food and beverage production, agricultural marketing and their wider effects on farm management and labour.

Dr Fogarty, a UWA graduate, has published a paper on Australia’s fine wine production sector, while Dr Mugera, from Kansas State University in the USA, has written broadly on agribusiness.

The appointments come on the back of UWA’s strong showing at this year’s Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society awards, where its researchers picked up four honours, including two of the most prestigious, for ‘best published article’ and ‘quality of research discovery’.

Head of the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Professor Ben White, says the appointments will help UWA and its Institute of Agriculture maintain its leading international standing, while meeting the growing needs of the regional agricultural economy.

“Enrolments at the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences surged almost 10 per cent in the last year alone, to top off a half decade of growth that has seen numbers swell to about 700 full time students,” he said.

“This expanding demand reflects the industry’s need for smart solutions to economic, environmental and social challenges in agriculture. Obviously, all the research and intellectual tools we deliver must be affordable and our Agricultural and Resource Economics School ensures we deliver that value.  In short, it provides an economic analysis of the science.”

In a recent benchmarking study that compared UWA’s School of Agricultural and Resource Economics against leading university agricultural schools from around Australia and the world, it was found to have published more papers on agricultural economics than any competitor. Its research was also cited more than twice as much as research from any other Australian university.

“Our agricultural and resource economics group at UWA ranked number one against the best in Australia and also performed against comparable schools in North America and Europe, so we already have a strong position, but these new appointments will help us continue to improve our track record for delivering top quality research and training,” Professor White said.

“We commit to continually improve our performance, especially in agribusiness and food demand analysis, but also in agricultural resource economics, policy and farming systems research.”

Media references

Authorised by ‘Institute of Agriculture – UWA’ and issued on its behalf by
Brendon Cant & Associates, Tel 08 9384 1122

Prof Ben White (Head, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics UWA)
(+61) 8 6488 3409/  (+61) 0403 940 027

Prof Kadambot Siddique (UWA IOA Director) (+61) 8 6488 7012/ (+61) 04 11 155 396