Leading hand now NZ's leading young Maori grower
Grace Rehu, 21 – a leading hand for Turners and Growers in Puketapu, Hawke’s Bay – is the winner of the 2023 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower competition.
About 70 agribusiness leaders attended, seeing farmers from Mangaroa Station and Maranga Station, both in the East Coast region, and Paua Station, Far North, presented with medals for making the final.
Unusual this year is that two of the farms – Mangaroa and Maranga – are privately owned, while Paua Station is owned by the Parengarenga Incorporation. The last time the competition for sheep and beef was run, in 2013, all the finalists’ farms were owned by Maori trusts or incorporations.
Guy said Maori agribusiness, including forestry, contributes $3.5 billion to the New Zealand economy. Maori agribusiness is doing extremely well, and the Miraka Dairy Company winning Maori Exporter of the Year recently is an example of this, he said.
“If we don’t celebrate success in the primary sector, no one else is going to do it for us. That’s why having this event in Parliament is hugely important for Maori and for the primary sector as whole.”
Guy lauded the big turnout of dignitaries and foreshadowed a large attendance at the winner event in Whanganui late May. Agriculture must sell itself better to the community and attract the best and brightest young people, he says. The Ahuwhenua Trophy plays a big role in selling that story.
Kingi Smiler, the chairman of the Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee which runs the competition says all three farms are worthy finalists, demonstrating commitment and determination to create successful farming operations to benefit them and their whanau.
It is great to see whanau farms rewarded for their hard work, he says. “Like others, I’m looking forward to attending the field days at these properties. The field days are great events and I urge everyone in the agribusiness sector to take a few days out of the office and go into the real country and see what people achieve in challenging conditions. They do a great job.”
Smiler says the Ahuwhenua Trophy has contributed much to raising the profile of Maori agribusiness.
“The trophy has helped lift the bar behind the farm gate and we are seeing amazing innovation. The technology on many Maori farms is leading-edge and they benchmark favourably with all other farming operations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Improved governance and leadership of our whanau businesses has led to top people being employed as advisors, managers and general staff.”
Show and tell
In the coming weeks, each finalist will stage a field day on their properties for two purposes.
First, it’s part of the judging process where new judges – not involved in selecting the finalists – evaluate each property and decide on the ultimate winner of the trophy.
Second, the field days allow other farmers and people with an interest in Maori agribusiness – and anyone else – to visit the properties to see what the finalists have achieved.
Field days will take place at each farm:
- Wed April 22, Mangaroa Station, about 60 minutes inland from Wairoa/Gisborne
- Thurs April 30, Paua Station, 80km north of Kaitaia
- Thurs May 7, Maranga Station, 30 min inland from Gisborne.
