Ahuwhenua Trophy Field Days and Awards Dinner Cancelled

The field days and awards dinner planned for New Zealand's most prestigious competition for Maori farmers and horticulturalists has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Each of the finalist's field days would normally attract between 200 and 300 people and the awards dinner could host between 700 and 900 guests.

Kingi Smiler, the Chairman of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee says "the health and safety of finalists, sponsors, whanau and others is paramount. Following the advice of our health authorities about large gatherings must take precedence."

The competition is now in its 87th year with Horticulture being showcased for the first time in 2020.

Kingi Smiler says "we are pleased that we can complete the judging, because of the very small number of people involved and announce a winner for this inaugural Horticulture competition." "The winner will be announced by the Minister for Maori Development, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta and Minister of Agriculture the Hon Damien O'Connor and a special event for the presentation of the Trophy will be arranged once Covid-19 related restrictions are eased."

Kingi Smiler says the three finalists – Te Kaha 15B Hineora Orchard in Te Kaha, Otama Marere in Te Puke and Ngai Tukairangi Trust in Tauranga are in the kiwifruit industry's top performing quartile have developed sustainable businesses for their whanau and communities.

"What we see in our 2020 finalists is a unique combination of vision, resilience, innovation, good governance and smart management."

Media can contact Peter Burke: 021 224 2183 / peterb@true-to-ireland.com

Our thanks to our valued Ahuwhenua Trophy sponsors: Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry for Primary Industries, Bank of New Zealand, Te Tumu Paeroa, Horticulture New Zealand, Plant & Food Research, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Fruitfed Supplies, Massey University, Zespri, BDO, FMG, New Zealand Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust, Blue Wing Honda, AgFirst Consultants and Tohu Wine.

A big thanks also to sponsors of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award: Te Puni Kōkiri, Primary ITO, Te Tumu Paeroa and Horticulture New Zealand.

The Hineora Orchard / Te Kaha 15B Ahu Whenua Trust 

Te Kaha 15B is a Māori freehold land block located in the Eastern Bay of Plenty township of Te Kaha, 65km east of Ōpōtiki. The whenua falls within the tribal rohe of Te Whānau-a-Apanui, and more specifically, is associated with Te Whānau a Te Ehutu hapū.

Otama Marere (Paengaroa North A5) Block

Otama Marere (Paengaroa North A5) Block in Paengaroa near the Bay of Plenty town of Te Puke has gone through a remarkable transition. The land was originally leased to the local golf club on a 60 year lease at two shillings and six pence per acre. When the lease on the 45.01 hectare block expired in the 1980s, Otama Marere took back the land and converted the golf course into an orchard.

Ngai Tukairangi Trust

Ngai Tukairangi Trust is very large kiwifruit operation with one of its orchards, based at Matapihi, just a few kilometres from the centre of Tauranga city. Their land is on a peninsular and was originally used for dairy farming. Forty years ago, a number of family members who owned the dairy farms feared that the land would become incorporated into urban development. They decided that they had a better chance of holding onto it by converting to kiwifruit.

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