Latest news with #WhangaroaNgaiotongaTrust
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
Government Congratulates Ahuwhenua Trophy Winners
Press Release – New Zealand Government Sheep and beef farms are the backbone of the Mori primary sector, valued at over $12 billion, and these awards honour the landowners, rangatira and kaimahi who keep that success going, says Mori Development Minister Tama Potaka. Minister of Agriculture Hon Tama Potaka Minister for Māori Development Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka have congratulated the winners of the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy and the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, recognising their excellence and leadership in Māori agribusiness. The Northland-based Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust was awarded the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy for excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming at a gala dinner in Palmerston North tonight. 'Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust turned a struggling farm into a thriving 1,200-head bull beef operation, and it's a clear example of what vision and hard work can achieve,' says Mr McClay. 'This award celebrates Māori excellence in farming and the kind of leadership that will help us double the value of exports in 10 years,' says Mr McClay. Mr Potaka says the Ahuwhenua Trophy recognises excellence in farming know-how, as well as the wider role that Māori intergenerational farming entities play in our regional communities and in protecting the environment. 'Sheep and beef farms are the backbone of the Māori primary sector, valued at over $12 billion, and these awards honour the landowners, rangatira and kaimahi who keep that success going,' says Mr Potaka. Te Tai Tokerau farm manager Coby Warmington took out the 2025 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award for sheep and beef. 'Congratulations to the winner and all those who took part in this year's competition. 'The prosperity and wellbeing farming generates for Iwi and Māori across the motu has far reaching impacts for communities, for whānau, for reinvesting back into marae and more. I tautoko the outstanding work these finalists are doing.'
Scoop
a day ago
- Business
- Scoop
Government Congratulates Ahuwhenua Trophy Winners
Hon Todd McClay Minister of Agriculture Minister for Māori Development Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka have congratulated the winners of the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy and the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award, recognising their excellence and leadership in Māori agribusiness. The Northland-based Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust was awarded the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy for excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming at a gala dinner in Palmerston North tonight. 'Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust turned a struggling farm into a thriving 1,200-head bull beef operation, and it's a clear example of what vision and hard work can achieve,' says Mr McClay. 'This award celebrates Māori excellence in farming and the kind of leadership that will help us double the value of exports in 10 years,' says Mr McClay. Mr Potaka says the Ahuwhenua Trophy recognises excellence in farming know-how, as well as the wider role that Māori intergenerational farming entities play in our regional communities and in protecting the environment. 'Sheep and beef farms are the backbone of the Māori primary sector, valued at over $12 billion, and these awards honour the landowners, rangatira and kaimahi who keep that success going,' says Mr Potaka. Te Tai Tokerau farm manager Coby Warmington took out the 2025 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award for sheep and beef. 'Congratulations to the winner and all those who took part in this year's competition. 'The prosperity and wellbeing farming generates for Iwi and Māori across the motu has far reaching impacts for communities, for whānau, for reinvesting back into marae and more. I tautoko the outstanding work these finalists are doing.'
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Te Tai Tokerau takes both top beef farming prizes at Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 awards
Hūhana Lyndon, Tama Potaka and Pita Morrison on stage at the Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 award ceremony. Photo: Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira Māori from Te Tai Tokerau were the big winners at the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 awards with both top prizes going to Northland farmers. The Northland-based Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust was awarded the 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy for excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming, while Te Tai Tokerau farm manager Coby Warmington took out the 2025 Young Māori Farmer Award at a packed ceremony in Palmerston North on Friday. The Ahuwhenua Trophy dates back to 1933 and was established by Sir Āpirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Charles Bledisloe. It remains one of the most prestigious and contested awards for Māori farming. At least 800 people gather for the Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 award ceremony. Photo: Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira At least 800 people were at the event, including Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono I te po, the Māori Queen, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and other Māori farmers and their whānau. The Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust's whenua is located near the east coast settlement of Whangaruru, north of Whangārei. Its cattle farm takes up about a third of the 1100 hectares of land owned by the trust. In 1952, the Department of Māori Affairs held a hui for the then-484 registered owners of the whenua. Despite only 70 being present and only 24 signing a resolution in support, the department went ahead with the consolidation of the whenua into a 'Land Development Scheme' disconnecting the people from the whenua for decades. The trust took back control of the whenua in 2020 with little-to-no farming know-how and no stock. Since then, it has transformed the whenua into a thriving bull-beef operation with around 1200 bulls. In her acceptance speech, Green MP and Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust co-chair Hūhana Lyndon said thanked her wider Ngāti Wai whānau and elders for their support. "Our tūpuna fought so hard to have the land returned and when you are unable to walk your whenua, when you have a tenant that would not let you on without supervision, our ability to take our land back was transformational." Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 Award winner Pita Morrison accepting the supreme award. Photo: Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira Co-chair Pita Morrison thanked the whānau who travelled south to support the trust, and those who had passed on. "From the time of our founding tipuna, Manaia, who came to our whenua, our people have been here … if it was not for the strength that our tūpuna have given to us and our people we would not be here. "To our people that are here today, as the descendants of our old people, I thank you, mihi to you, on behalf of our trust and we are so proud to be here with you today," Morrison said. Ahuwhenua Trophy 2025 Young Māori Farmer Award winner Coby Warmington Photo: Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira It was a similar sentiment from Young Māori Famer Award winner Coby Warmington, 28, who thanked his wife Holly and his fellow finalists who he described as "obviously great farmers" but "even better people". Warmington (Te Mahurehure, Ngāpuhi) started working at Waima Topu Beef in January 2021 as a shepherd and general hand while the farm was starting a re-building phase and was promoted to farm manager only two years later, in March 2023. Each finalist received a $5000 scholarship, courtesy of Te Tumu Paeroa, The Office of the Māori Trustee, with the overall winner getting a total of $10,000. Warmington said he wanted to start implementing some of things he learned on his own farm in Waima. "I was supported by my employers to apply for the award and I just wanted to test my limits, socially. "It's been amazing, meeting all these great people and spending time with all these young Māori leaders. I'll never forget the experience." Te Tumu Paeroa lead Dr Charlotte Severne said the scholarship would likely be used to get more skills overseas. "It's for them to study and study further, that opportunity to put something into themselves. Studying is not cheap. "These ones have more qualifications than some who have entered the awards so they'll look at training offshore, maybe do a tour offshore. That's as good as any tohū, I think." Severne said. Māori development Minister Tama Potaka said whenua was an integral part of Māori identity. "For us its something that is enduring and perpetual, we won't let go of our whakapapa because it defines who we are. As a result, we do have to figure out how we use that as a foundation for our livelihoods, for jobs, for enterprise and for opportunities for our young people. "I had the great opportunity to grow up on a sheep and beef farm only 45 minutes away in a place called Rata, up Rangitīkei. We had amongst our families 150,000 to 160,000 sheep there in the 1900s. "Certainly for me it's, again, linking back to identity and whakapapa but also providing a platform for economic growth." Potaka said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
