MEDIA RELEASE
2nd May 2005
First Field Day for Maori Farmer of the Year 2005
The first field day for the 2005 Maori Farmer of the Year competition will be held on Thursday 5th May, starting at
9.30am on the Waihi Pukawa Trust property, near Turangi, winners of the Southern regional competition.
Competition chairman, Bob Cottrell says the field day will feature the attributes that contributed to Waihi Pukawa
winning the regional title.
“The two aims for the Maori Farmer of the Year are to recognise excellence in Maori farming and highlight the wider
Maori farming community. The regional field days help to realise both these goals.”
He says the judges were impressed with Waihi Pukawa and identified a number of key elements that made it a stand out
competitor. These included a high standard of infrastructure on the farm, a successful diversification into deer and
merinos, a cohesive governance and management team and a high gross income per hectare.
A BBQ will end the day, and participants will need to bring 4-wheel-drive vehicles for touring the farm.
Meat & Wool New Zealand is a major sponsor of the event along with Te Puni Kokiri, Bank of New Zealand and AgResearch (gold
sponsors).
Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Williams and Kettle, Merial and Blue Wing Honda (silver sponsors).
The AFFCO group, Agri-Quality, Landcorp and PPCS-Richmond (bronze sponsors).
ENDS