Bay of Plenty and Northland Orchards Named Finalists for Ahuwhenua Trophy
Two kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty and one in Northland are this year's finalists for the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition.
Matai Pacific Iwi Collective (MPIC) are one of three finalists in this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy competition to determine the best Māori horticulture operation in the country. But just a few hours before the field day was scheduled to take place, MPIC cancelled it because of the severe weather warnings and the likelihood that conditions could deteriorate during the day.
A huge effort had gone into preparing for the day, with food on hand for an estimated 200 plus people, marquees were in place and a big screen had been erected at the beautiful Hei Marae for presentations by MPIC.
But the chair of the collective, Tiaki Hunia, says it was the right call to cancel the day. He says the reason was based on their values of kaitiakitanga, meaning caring for people, and they didn't want people to be travelling in the dangerous, stormy weather.
"We wanted to be sure that people who came to the event could get home safely, and given the orange weather warning and the experience we have had with weather events in the Bay of Plenty, it was a no-brainer to call off the event," he says.
Hunia says they will hold another field day for the public sometime in the future when the weather is settled.
The one bit of good news was that the judges for the competition spent the previous day with MPIC trustees and staff and not being able to hold the field day will not in any way disadvantage them. This has happened before.
While the actual field day did not go ahead, representatives of the other finalists - the Ngati Hine Forestry Trust from Northland and the Otama Marere Trust from nearby Paengaroa - had arrived for the event. It was decided that they and some of the staff from MPIC and a few special guests would be welcomed onto the marae with the Ahuwhenua Trophy and given a brief presentation and later kai. But while this went ahead, the rain just continued to pour down.
Hunia says the very downsized event was about thanking the marae and all those who had worked to make the day a success.
Some Good News
While weather forced Matai Pacific Iwi Collective (MPIC) to cancel their field day, some exciting news came their way a few days later: Two of their staff, Charles Russell and Tom Heeney, were naed the Bay of Plenty Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for building a large-scale kiwifruit operation grounded in cultural values, environmental stewardship and strong commercial performance.
Judges praised the strength of the collective's governance and clarity of direction, citing their clearly articulated objectives and strategy, embedded within tikanga, with strong reporting systems that demonstrate accountability and measurable progress.
“Decision making consistently balances environmental responsibility, cultural integrity and commercial performance, creating a resilient and future-focused enterprise,” said the judges.
 |
|---|
|
Tom Heeney (left) and Charles Russell. |
They noted environmental stewardship was visible across the orchards, with 13,000 native plants established in 2025 alone, alongside extensive wetland creation and riparian restoration. Also, that the orchards serve as research sites, hosting trials on native pollinators and supporting biodiversity outcomes.
“Clearly articulated objectives and strategy, embedded within tikanga, with strong reporting systems that demonstrate accountability and measurable progress. Decision making consistently balances environmental responsibility, cultural integrity and commercial performance, creating a resilient and future-focused enterprise,” said the judges.
They also noted that innovation was a key driver of the business an example of which included recycling 450km of growing string annually into plastic pallets, as well as the use of drone technology for pest plant management and ongoing investment in emissions reduction through native planting under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Judges also said that MPIC displayed thoughtful leadership, uplifting community and honouring the stewardship of both past and future kaitiaki of their land.
