The country could soon be facing a shortage of drivers for fertiliser haulage trucks.
The New Zealand Groundspread Fertiliser Association is driving a campaign to attract young workers into the industry, in which the current workforce is ageing.
Immediate past president Stuart Barwood said an appealing aspect of the job was that no student loan was needed because companies trained their employees to work towards a qualification.
"I don't think people realise you're operating something like two of three computers in the cab, as well as controlling the vehicle,' he said.
"You're operating GPS, computers that control the bin, the flow and the spread, and you're also producing a map that's emailed from the vehicle to a home-based computer at the depot.
Mr Barwood says the association will work with schools and their career advisors to recruit students.
He believed qualification would also be useful for getting work in Australia and other countries.
