Ahuwhenua Trophy Finalists Announced

MEDIA RELEASE

18.03.10

Ahuwhenua Trophy Finalists Announced

Three farms administered by Māori Trusts in Reporoa, Taupo, and Dargaville, have been named as finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy - BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming Awards.

The finalists in the 2010 dairy competition are:

• Hanerau Farms Trust near Dargaville

• Waipapa 9 Trust, 25 k west of Taupo

• Rangatira 8A 17 Trust near Reporoa

Hanerau Farms Trust, west of Maungaturoto, operates a 242 hectare dairy farm with 560 milking cows. Owned by Te Uri o Hau, a hapu of Ngati Whatua representing14 marae around the Kaipara harbour, it is managed by a team which includes the winners of the 2009 Northland Sharemilker of the Year competition, Dean and Tania Mischeski. The Hanerau Farms Trust also owns 176 hectares of rolling coastal country and is developing additional blocks of Māori land on behalf their owners.

A field day will be held on the Hanerau Farms Trust dairy farm on 29 April.

Waipapa 9 Trust administers a substantial, integrated agribusiness utilizing a total of 6500 hectares. It runs around 3000 dairy cows on three blocks and has land in forestry and sheep and beef production. Each block has its own manager, two of whom are 50/50 sharemilkers, and the operation is overseen by farm supervisor, Bob Cottrell. The Waipapa 9 Trust’s 1200 shareholders are of Raukawa and Ngati Tuwharetoa descent.

A field day will be held on the Waipapa 9 Trust dairy farm on 22 April, 2010.

The Rangatira 8A 17 Trust administers a 221 hectare dairy farm at Broadlands, Reporoa on behalf of 1500 owners from the Rauhotu hapu of Ngati Tuwharetoa. The farm supports 530 dairy cows. The Trust manages it along with its 50/50 sharemilkers, Gary Armstrong and Julia Ranger, who are in their second season on the farm. The Rangatira 8A 17 Trust also administers 15 hectares in three separate land blocks within Taupo township on behalf of 3 separate groups of owners. Driven by the desire to rebuild their owner’s asset base and support their whanau they subdivided some of the land and, with the profits, invested in commercial rental properties and kaumatua housing.

A field day will be held on the Rangatira 8A 17 Trust dairy farm on 6 May, 2010.

The supreme award winner and recipient of the Ahuwhenua Trophy will be announced at a Gala Awards dinner in Taupo on Friday 28 May.The top sharemilker or manager will also be recognised at this event. Tickets for this event are available from Joan Nathu 04 819 9205 email: joan.nathu@māoritrustee.co.nz

As well as being presented with the historic Ahuwhenua Cup, this year’s winner will receive a replica of the trophy, a prestigious medal based on a 1932 design and up to $40,000 in cash and farm-related products and services. Finalists will receive a medal and $15,000 in cash or farm-related products and services.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy - BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming Awards encourages participation from both individual and collective Māori landowners however, the largely collective nature of Māori land tenure means most of these farms are, in fact, large scale businesses.

The competition, which has both historic and contemporary prestige, dates back to 1932 when it was

first established by Sir Apirana Ngata. It was relaunched in 2003 to take account of the changing face of Māori farming and the increasing importance of Māori incorporations and trusts in the sector.

Each year it alternates between beef and sheep farms and dairy farms. This is the third dairy competition.

BNZ is the Platinum Sponsor for the Award. Gold sponsors are AgResearch, Te Puni Kokiri, DairyNZ and Fonterra. Silver sponsors are PGG Wrightson and Ballance Agri-Nutrients, and Bronze sponsors are MAF, Agriculture ITO, the Māori Trustee, AFFCO, BDO and Yamaha Motors. Sponsor support has been supplied by Tohu Wines, Landcorp, Poutama, DB Breweries and Ecolab.

Key Facts – Māori Agribusiness

• Māori are the largest natural grouping of pastoral farmers in New Zealand. They farm an effective area of 720,000 hectares and are worth an estimated $7.5 billion

• The Māori dairy sector owns over $100 million Fonterra dairy shares and Māori also represent more than 15% of all sheep and beef interests in Aotearoa-New Zealand

• In 2008 there were 129 Māori Incorporations and 5,201 trusts which together administer about two-thirds of all Māori land. Almost all of them have interests in agriculture

• The largest 10 Māori incorporations alone collectively control over NZ$2 billion of diversified assets concentrated mainly in the primary sector

ENDS

© Scoop Media