The winner of the inaugural Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, Tangaroa Walker (Ranginui/Pukenga) is flanked by the other two finalists, Mark Coughlan (Tuhoe/Ngai Tai),(R) and Tyson Kelly (Tuhoe/Whakatohea) at the Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards ceremony in June.
With strong global demand for food set to continue and New Zealand farm operations increasing in scale and sophistication, farm businesses are beginning to look beyond the current cooperative processing and distribution model.
The Kapenga M dairy unit, 20 km to the south of Rotorua is a 330ha property currently running a mixed Jersey/Friesian herd of 1,020 stock units. Its stock performance centres on a strategy of developing high breeding worth cows that can harvest high levels of pasture.
Tauhara Moana Trust administers an integrated agribusiness totalling 1093 hectares which includes a 590ha dairy farm, forestry plantations and substantial geothermal resources, just north of Taupo.
Waewaetutuki 10, a 71 hectare dairy unit situated 15 kilometres from Te Puke, is owned by the Wharepī Whānau Trust. It is made up of two blocks, each of which had been leased for 30 years before they were amalgamated in 2000 to form Waewaetutuki 10. In 2009 the owners took over the management of the whenua with the assistance of the Māori Trustee.
The series takes viewers over the fields and into the cowsheds of the three finalists in the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy: Kapenga M Trust (Rotorua), Tauhara Moana Trust (Taupo) and Waewaetutuki 10 owned by the Wharepi Whanau Trust (Paengaroa). Viewers learn about the history of the land and what its board, supervisors and workers are doing to lift productivity and profitability.
The finalists in this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy – BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming Award, the premier award for Māori in agribusiness, have been announced.