People before profit helps trust take out top award

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor made the announcement at a gala awards night in Hawke's Bay recently, which was attended by more than 800 people.

Some 50 Wi Pere Trust members and whānau came on stage singing and cheering as the coveted Ahuwhenua Trophy was presented to Wi Pere Trustee, Trudy Meredith.

Guests at the gala event included politicians, Māori leaders, diplomats, other representatives of central and local government, agribusiness leaders and whānau from all the finalists - as well as many of the past winners.

O'Connor congratulated all the finalists and winners in both the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition and the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farm competitions. He told the gathering that Māori account for 25% of the production of sheep, beef and wool and have brought a highly professional approach to their farming operations.

"As Māori develop their land further it will lead to the creation of even bigger enterprises," he explained. "I managed to get to one of the field days and I'd encourage others to do the same because it gives one an advantage to better understand the complexity, passion and the beneficiaries of the farms."

Wi Pere Trust's Meredith says winning the Ahuwhenua Trophy was absolutely amazing - especially given it was the first time they had entered the competition. She says winning the competition will make people recognise the excellence that Wi Pere has and that its people are of high standards and that the Trust looks after its people.

"It's not all about profit and although it does help, it's not the be all. It also has to set the bar for the next lot of trustees," she says.

The other finalists were: Onuku Māori Lands Trust, located near Rotorua; and Hereheretau Station located near Whakakī, Wairoa.

Nukuhia Hadfield, chair of the Ahuwhenu Trophy Management Committee, which runs the competition, says all of the finalists were impressive and the judges had their work cut out to come up with a winner. She says all the farms are good examples of what can be achieved with good governance, sustainable practices and hard work.

Hadfield says it was not an easy year for Māori farming - especially having to cope with the adverse weather and the ongoing issues of Covid-19.

However, she says, despite all the challenges, the field days run by all the finalists were excellent and showed the quality and depth of Māori sheep and beef farming enterprises.

"Each of you have a unique story which guides your practices and are an inspiration to other Māori farming businesses and the primary sector as a whole," she added.

The Winning Farm

Located in Gisborne, Wi Pere Farms consists of 6,770ha with 4,900 effective ha.

It consists of two blocks, Otara at Whatatutu and Tangihanga at Waituhi. The land blocks carry 51,000 stock units comprising 32,400 sheep and 4,600 cattle. The farm is managed by Tim Rhodes, with 15 full-time staff. Wi Pere Farms are classified as North Island steep hard hill country.

The Wi Pere Trust was created in 1899 by an Act of Parliament and established by their tīpuna Wi Pere to protect the remaining lands of their whanau, at a time when the land was heavily in debt, from being sold under mortgagee sales.

Wi Pere was an MP for Eastern Māori from 1884-1887 and 1894-1905. He championed the retention of Māori land to be controlled and developed by Māori. He wa also responsible for the first Māori incorporation, Mangatu Incorporation.

Today the five trustees of Wi Pere, which includes former Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee chair Kingi Smiler, are appointed by the 550 owners who represent a wider whanau base. The Trust has developed comprehensive Land Environment Plans to guide how to best utilise its land - including the retirement of erosion prone land, fencing all 15km of its waterways, riparian planting and improving water quality.

Wi Pere produces approximately 1,100,000kg of meat and fibre annually and optimises product returns by selling via a Māori Collective Cluster, Awhina to the Alliance Group.