Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists named
Farms in Rotorua, Taupo, and Hawkes Bay have been named as finalists in this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy – Bank of New Zealand Māori Excellence in Farming Awards.
The three finalists in this year's dairy competition are: Cesped Lands Limited Takapau, the Parekarangi Trust near Rotorua and the Hauhungaroa Partnership from Taupo.
Dean and Kristen Nikora are the owners of Mangatewai, a 342 hectare dairy farm sitting under the Ruahine ranges near Takapau. Mangatewai is one of five properties owned or leased by the company, Cesped Lands Limited. Mangatewai currently milks about 1,000 cows.
The Judges said Cesped Lands had "top end farm management in all respects". They were impressed by the way Dean and Kristen had engaged their staff on their journey to success. The farm management had strong focus and this had lead to highly impressive asset accumulation in a relatively short time from a low base.
The Parekarangi Trust farms 665 hectares of land about 10 kilometers south of Rotorua, this includes a 255 hectare dairy unit, a 410 hectare dry stock unit and some commercial land 10 hectares of which is to be leased to the Department of Child Youth and Family for a Youth Justice Residential Centre. The farm winters 800 cows, 780 of them for peak milking.
The Judges were "hugely impressed" with the very close ties the Trust has with its shareholders. They said the farm was an attractive dairy property of good scale with adjoining support land under a very sound management regime. It had excellent overall financial management, planning, budgeting, monitoring and analysis.
The Hauhungaroa Partnership deals in sheep, beef, deer and dairy and has investments in Gourmet Mokai, Gourmet Paprika and Gourmet Blueberries all based in Hawkes Bay. Its 437-hectare Taupo-based dairy unit is the part of the operation that's in the spotlight as an Ahuwhenua finalist. The farm milks 930 cows and last year achieved 340kg of milk solids per cow.
The judges were impressed with the Hauhungaroa Governance structure and the overall processes that resulted in the quality of their operation. "We obtained a very clear view of the importance your land holds for you, and this includes the impact it has on the surrounding environment." They said the innovative way the Trust was looking to deal with special (Lake Taupo) environmental issues, by growing blueberries was commendable.
Nine contestants, from South Taranaki, Whakatane, Opotiki, Rotorua, Hamilton, South Waikato, Wanganui, Te Puke, and Hawkes Bay, entered the competition.
Field days will be held on the properties of the three finalists: Parekarangi Trust on April 17, Cesped Farms Ltd on April 23 and Hauhungaroa Partnership on May 1. The supreme award winner and recipient of the Ahuwhenua Trophy will be announced at a gala dinner in Rotorua on June 6. Tickets for this event are available from Joan Nathu 04 819 9205 email: nathj@tpk.govt.nz
Māori dairy farmers own an estimated 100 million shares in Fonterra with some of the major players in the sector being large incorporations like the 2006 Dairy Competition winner PKW Farms Ltd which has an estimated $50million farming interest in Taranaki – including 14 dairy farms operated under 50/50 sharemilking contracts. Another big player is Wairarapa Moana which owns 12 dairy units, milking a combined total of about 7200 cows, producing 2.3 million kg of milk solids annually.
As well as being presented with the Ahuwhenua Trophy, the winner of the competition will also receive up to $40,000 in cash, services and farm products including, a King Quad Suzuki ATV. The three finalists will receive $15,000 in cash services and farm products.
The Bank of New Zealand is the Platinum Sponsor for the Award. Gold sponsors are AgResearch, DairyNZ, and Fonterra. Silver sponsors are: Te Puni Kōkiri, PGG Wrightson, and Ballance AgriNutrients. Bronze sponsors are: the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, AgricultureITO and Suzuki. Other sponsors include: Landcorp, TVNZ, the Rotorua Charitable Trust/Rotorua District Council, DB Breweries, Poutama Trust, and Tohu Wines.
