PKW Supreme Winner - Ahuwhenua Trophy

PKW Supreme Winner - Ahuwhenua Trophy

AgResearch 2006 Maori Dairying Excellence Awards

Parininihi Ki Waitotara Incorporation has been named supreme winner of the Ahuwhenua Trophy AgResearch 2006 Maori Dairy Excellence Awards in Rotorua.

Hailed as an enterprise that set a new benchmark in dairying excellence, the farm is the smallest of 15 dairying units run by the Incorporation.

It comprises 36 effective hectares, running 130 cows with a production of 1500-1600 kg of milk solids per hectare. In 2004/05 the unit had an economic farm surplus of $2,800 per hectare.

The farm is operated by 50/50 sharemilkers Ross and Shelley Clark employed as managers and Hayden Syme as farm manager.

Speaking at the awards event, chief judge Doug Leeder described PKW as a very polished enterprise reflecting what could be achieved with a corporate discipline whilst also delivering to the social and cultural expectations of its 8,000 owners.

“All aspects of this operation were admirable with comprehensive monitoring and reporting on all areas of management,” he said. “Their governance structures reflect a modern and effective corporate model with clear and focused performance and accountability processes.”

Other finalists in the competition were Aotearoa Trust at Wharepapa South, near TeAwamutu and Kokako Trust in Ngatira, Putaruru.

Ahuwhenua Trophy executive committee chairman Bob Cottrell said all the finalists and particularly PKW were evidence of the phenomenal growth and potential of Maori dairying.

“Maori dairying makes a positive contribution, not just to its owners but to its local communities and on a broader front to the country’s economy.”

“Currently Maori farm twice as much land as Landcorp does, somewhere in the vicinity of 720,000 hectares which includes dairying and sheep and beef;”

He said Maori were one of the largest shareholders in Fonterra owning over $100m dairy shares and also contributed over 15% of the country’s sheep and beef export receipts.”

PKW Incorporation was formed in 1976 with transfer of 22,000 hectares in perpetual leases with 21 years rent reviews.

It is one of the biggest dairying entities in Taranaki, with 2,000 hectares and 6,000 cows. It has a production of two million kilogram of milksolids and a current total investment of $50 million.

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