Maori farming “totally impressive”– says Judge

News Release

30 May 2007

Maori farming “totally impressive”– says Judge

Chief Judge of the Maori Excellence in Farming Award, John Ackland says he’s “totally impressed” with the current state of Maori farming.

Successful field days have been held on the farms of the three regional finalists and Mr Acland, and fellow judges: AgResearch Maori and Innovation Judge Roger Pikia, and BNZ Financial and Management Judge Paul Buist, have completed judging the regional finals.

“The governance has come a long way and the trustees are up there with their thinking, strategy and planning – the way they represent their shareholders is great,”Mr Acland says.

“The competition for the Award and for the prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy has really helped build confidence in the sector. In the next few years it will do nothing but grow – I see an even better opportunities for it to deliver greater productivity gains in the future,” he says.

Farming an effective area of 720,000 hectares worth an estimated $7.5 billion, Maori are the largest natural grouping of pastoral farmers in New Zealand.

“These incorporations we’ve been looking at are very big farms in anyone’s terms. Given that they are very big companies its amazing that they are still sitting below the radar,” he says.

The $120 million Atihau Whanganui Corporation whose Pah Hill Station is this year’s Southern Regional finalist, runs 10 stations and 210,000 stock units on land between Mt Ruapehu and the Whanganui River. It is the largest farming enterprise in the region. On a net asset value alone it is bigger than 60 per cent of the companies listed on the stock exchange.

The North Central regional winner, the Tuaropaki Trust, runs a livestock farm 26 kilometres northwest of Taupo. Like an increasing number of the larger Maori trusts and incorporations Tuaropaki has managed its assets judiciously - diversifying into a $30 million geothermal power generation plant , and 30 acres of temperature controlled horticulture (export tomatoes and paprika), and satellite/wireless communications both in New Zealand and Western Australia.

Matariki Partnership, the Eastern Regional Winner, runs two adjoining properties in the Waiomatatini Valley north of Ruatoria. The partnership, which supports 3,000 owners, runs sheep and beef on a total of 2,480ha, 1390 of which is pasture.

Exotic pine is planted on 150 hectares, 80hectares is in native bush reserve and the remaining 860hectares is in unusable gorse and manuka-covered hillsides.

The National Winner for the 2007 Award will be announced at a gala dinner at the Rotorua Convention Centre on Friday June 15. The event has now sold out.

The Bank of New Zealand Maori Excellence in Farming Award include Platinum Sponsor Bank of New Zealand; Gold Sponsors Te Puni Kokiri, Meat & Wool New Zealand, and AgResearch; Silver Sponsors Ballance Agri-Nutrients and PGG Wrightson and Bronze Sponsors AgITO and Suzuki. In addition a number of other sponsors have offered generous support including AgriQuality, PPCS, AFFCO Group, Landcorp, Poutama Business Trust and DB Breweries.

ENDS

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