Waipukurau local returning to his Central Hawke’s Bay roots.

Tama Cahill started as a livestock representative in June 2022 in Taihape. Immediately prior to that he was a shearer for five years: while it was a change, Tama brought the same attitude to both careers.

“Although shearing is more physical, both focus on doing the best you can for your client. You must keep hold of those relationships, put your best foot forward and always do your best. Either way, as a shearer or in this job, customer service comes first.

“If not for farmers, we wouldn’t have a job. Particularly over the past two years, since I’ve been in livestock, that has been the biggest challenge: trying to make sure our clients can see a positive future, helping them through the tough times. Plenty of guys have come off a couple of hard years, from drought, to floods, to dealing with all-time low commodity prices. Having sympathy with them, helping them to see a light at the other end, is a major part of our role,” he says.

After two years in Manawatu, Tama is on the move to a new region, though for him it’s a return home. Affiliated to Kahungunu he grew up in Central Hawke’s Bay where his stepfather trained horses at Ōtāne. Helping out on the property, alongside his two brothers and sister, provided Tama with his start in agriculture.

After finishing school he had various farming jobs, including shepherding for Hawke’s Bay corporate Apatu Farms.

“That helped me build up a wide range of farming knowledge, including much better understanding of tractors and all other farming machinery. It was more than just chasing sheep.”

Five seasons of shearing followed, including spending time further away from home base, down south working for a shearing contractor in Heriot, Otago.

Now he’s back in the region he knows best, which he says has a diversity about it that serves local farmers well.

From the mountains to the rivers, to the coastline, Central Hawke’s Bay has plenty of variety. From the Ruahine Ranges to the nearest ocean is an hour. Not many places have breeding country so close by finishing farms, then there’s our coastline with its massive catchment, plus local processing works and saleyards, and a short drive to nearby towns.

“From a livestock perspective, that means you need a fair knowledge across the farming sector, understanding which farmers want to do store work, which want to raise prime stock, and which breed stock to go to store. Our role covers how that fits together, and in Central Hawke’s Bay every type of farm is close to hand,” says Tama.

From his time in Taihape, Tama has been a keen student of his peers and mentors, who he acknowledges for their advice and support, including though not limited to Simon Luoni, Gareth Williams, Brian Diamond and Alex Stewart. Now Tama is ready to take all he’s learnt back to Waipukurau, giving the same service he’s given in Taihape.

“Knowing that you’ve done the best to represent your client, helping them make the successful choice, that’s what motivates me as a livestock rep, and I’m looking forward to providing that to Central Hawke’s Bay farmers now.”

Outside work, alongside wife Caitlin, Tama’s focus is on their young family, sons Kaia (8) and Tighe (3), and daughter Aoife (5), plus son Chase from a previous relationship.

“Kaia is a keen young hunter, he loves hunting deer and will chase anything that moves. Seeing our children develop their own interests, sports and hobbies is what we most enjoy as a family.”

He’s also looking forward to returning to Ōtāne, where his sister Crystall, along with her husband Jori, owns the local pub.

“She’s definitely my favourite sibling now,” Tama reckons.