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Omapere Taraire & Rangihamama Trust were named as the winners of this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Maori Excellence in Farming Award at a dinner held in Whangarei. Photo John Cowpland / alphapix.
About 700 people in late May attended a gala awards night in Whangerei, to see Omapere Rangihamama Trust farm, near Kaikohe, awarded the Ahuwhenua Trophy.
The Ahuwhenua Trophy awards night, a premier event in NZ farming, was attended by Māori leaders, politicians, agribusiness professionals, finalists’ whānau, past winners and journalists.
The trophy, a medal and a replica trophy were presented by Prime Minister Bill English to the chairman of the trust, Sonny Tau. The trust also took away $40,000 in prizes.
The other two finalists were RA and JG King Partnership of Puketawa Station, near Eketahuna, and Pukepoto Farm Trust at Ongarue, near Taumarunui.
Omapere is a 902ha (effective) mixed sheep and beef property whose borders include Lake Omapere. It is now transitioning to mainly bull beef rearing. Since 2007 the trustees have been working on substantial improvements.
Kingi Smiler, the chairman of the Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee which runs the competition, says Omapere has a strong strategic and practical commitment to improving the property’s environment, so benefiting their whānau and all other people in the district.
He says Omapere is also doing a lot to encourage its young people to make a career in agribusiness by offering scholarships; this highlights their intergenerational thinking.
Sonny Tau, the chairman of the trust which owns Omapere, says winning the trophy is a big boost to its 3500 shareholders. The trust has struggled over the years, and the win is a great reward for this effort.
“I knew we were in there with a chance, but when the announcement was made it felt great,” Tau told Rural News.
“As for the experience of entering Ahuwhenua, at the beginning I was a bit sceptical about it. But once we got into the finals we were totally committed to the process and gained a lot out of it. Another bonus was the people we met.”
Tau says the feedback they got through the judging process is prompting them to make changes on their farms.
In a few weeks the winner of the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori dairy farm will be revealed at a gala dinner in Hamilton. In the past couple of weeks, the two finalists in this year’s competition have been holding on-farm field days to showcase why they are finalists. Peter Burke has attended both field days.
The finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy competition to select the top Māori dairy farm in the country are now busy planning and organising field days at their respective properties.
Two dairy farms – one at Mangakino in the central North Island and one at Opotiki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty are the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy.
The finalists for the 2024 Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori dairy farm were announced at a special function in Parliament earlier this week.
Entries to select the top Māori dairy farm for the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy competition are being invited from all Māori dairy farmers, trusts and other entities around the country.
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