L-R: Matthew Payne, Farm Manager; James Parsons, Farm Advisor; Hūhana Lyndon and Morris Pita, Co-Chairs; Kieran Weteri-Hepi, Farm Worker; Tori Norman, Trust Administrator
Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust is the winner of the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for the top Māori sheep and beef farm. The Trust’s state-of-the-art bull fattening farm is located an hour’s drive north of Whangārei, near the rural east coast settlement of Whangaruru.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Māori Development, Hon Tama Potaka at an awards ceremony in Papaioea, Palmerston North on Friday evening.
The competition has now been running for 92 years and was inaugurated by the great Māori Leader, Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe with the objective of encouraging Māori to improve their land and overall farming performance. This year the competition was for sheep and beef but on a three year cycle, horticulture and dairy events are held. The other finalist in the 2025 competition is the Proprietors of Tawapata South, Onenui Station, from Māhia in northern Hawke’s Bay.
There was outpouring of pride and delight when Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust were announced as the winners, and whānau gathered on stage to be presented with the prestigious trophy.
Morris Pita, Co-Chair of Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust said that after the announcement his first impression was one of pride for the whānau of the trust. He said they are just starting to appreciate the size of the shoes that come with this recognition and only hope that they can do them justice. He said that Northland is a unique and special part of Aotearoa and to be able to represent the people of Te Tai Tokerau in this this environment as part of this historic event is a privilege.
Hūhana Lyndon, Co-Chair of Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust said she was shocked, excited and overwhelmed at winning the trophy. She said they were quietly doing their own thing out on the coast and saw entering the competition as a learning experience and never thought they were going to win it.
Minister for Māori Development, Hon Tama Potaka said the awards were a fantastic night to celebrate Māori excellence in farming. He says it’s about the culture and wellbeing of Māori, in our traditions and the transmission of knowledge to those that follow, and that farming is a way of life and not just about making money.
Minister Potaka says while many people may be aware that Māori own farms, orchards and forests, they often don’t realise how committed Māori are intergenerationally. He noted that Māori farmers contribute more than $2 billion to export growth.
Nukuhia Hadfield, Chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee says 2025 saw two great finalists compete for the Ahuwhenua Trophy. Both ran excellent field days in the run-up to the awards dinner and the nearly 500 people who attended them would have seen Māori agriculture at its very best in some of the hardest farming land in Aotearoa.
“Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust are indeed worthy winners, and their governance and farm management is outstanding. Farming in Te Tai Tokerau has its own set of challenges and they have demonstrated that smart, innovative and passionate people can easily overcome any adversity and they have converted this into outstanding success in a short period of time,” she says and “feels so proud to be associated with this amazing competition.”
Nukuhia Hadfield says seeing what both finalists have achieved this year is inspiring, and Aotearoa can feel assured that great people are caring for the whenua, intent on improving it for future generations.
Media please note:
For further information contact Peter Burke, 021 2242184 - peterj@true-to-ireland.com. For ‘free for editorial use’ photos of competition go to https://rb.gy/6f1bwy and contact John Cowpland from Alphapix for download access on info@alphapix.co.nz.
Our thanks to our valued Ahuwhenua Trophy sponsors
Platinum: Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry for Primary Industries
Gold: Te Tumu Paeroa, BNZ, NZ Māori Tourism and Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Silver: Ballance Agri-Nutrients, PGG Wrightson, and AgResearch
Bronze: BDO, Affco, FMG, Massey University and MBIE
Other: FarmIQ and Kono Wines
A big thanks also to sponsors of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award e Tumu Paeroa, Primary ITO, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and Te Puni Kōkiri.
