Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025: Northland winners take top Māori sheep & beef awards
Northlanders scooped the pool at this year's prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards - winning both the main competition and the young Maori farmer award.
He’s only been in the dairy industry for just over a year, but that hasn’t stopped 26-year-old Quinn Morgan from taking out the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer of the year award.
Morgan is in his first season of farming, working as a farm assistant for Sam and Kate Moore on their 155ha farm in Otakiri near Whakatane, where they milk 570 cross breed cows.
The other two finalists were Anahera Hale and Ben Purua.
Morgan says he felt humbled at winning the award. He says not everyone gets such a good start as he did – especially getting such good employers. It was a big week for him and his wife Samantha and he is grateful for the opportunities.
Morgan was born in Taumarunui. In 2007, he moved with his mother, stepfather and sister to Australia where the family sought out a new life.
While in Australia he was involved in the fitness industry, working full time with at a gym in Perth. It was there he and wife Samantha had their three children.
His farming career began when some of his relations offered him some work experience and that’s when he fell in love with the dairy sector and led to him being employed full time as a farm assistant with the Moores. Morgan says he always wanted a career that would involve his wife and family and dairying has done just that.
“The dairy lifestyle suits me – especially being home for breakfast and seeing the kids head off to school,” he told Rural News. “I like the early morning starts and the hard work. Working in the dairy industry is a real treat and as a young father it has given me stability and helped me and my wife develop great aspirations as a collective.”
Morgan says winning the Ahuwhenua Award will bring many new benefits and contacts, but also responsibility.
“I feel now that I have a responsibility to uphold the mana of the Ahuwhenua competition and to shine that light on the young farmers coming through.
“Now that I have made it and those who have gone before me have pulled me through and I am going to reach back and pull the next group of young farmers through as well,” he says.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.