The finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori sheep and beef farm were announced at a special function at Parliament on the 19th February, 2025 by the Minister of Agriculture, Hon Todd McClay. The finalists are: 

• Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust 

• Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station 

 Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust manages the Ngaiotonga A3 block, situated an hour’s drive north of Whangārei, nestled in the heart of Whangaruru. Its whenua is bordered by the Te Moananui a Kiwa to the east and Whangaruru Harbour to the west. Totalling 1,100ha of coastal hill country, it consists of 360ha of effective farmland, 297ha of forestry, and 443ha of native forest and wetlands. 

The Proprietors of Tawapata South, trading as Onenui Station, is located at the tip of the Māhia Peninsula, Hawke’s Bay. Spanning 3,476 hectares, the whenua includes 1,700 hectares of effective farmland and 836 hectares under a Ngā Whenua Rāhui Kawenata. Onenui Station is a sheep and beef farming unit wintering 15,000 stock units, including 6,000 breeding ewes, 600 breeding cows, replacements, and trade cattle.

Nukuhia Hadfield, Chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee, says it is fantastic to see these excellent finalists who will add to the impressive alumni created by this award. She says the last few years have been hard for all sheep and beef farmers around the country as they have fought to stay in business against the odds of adverse weather and lower prices, especially for sheep meat. 
  
“Māori farmers have been among the worst affected by the adverse weather given that many are in areas such as the East Coast of the North Island which bore the brunt of cyclone Gabrielle and other heavy rain storms. I live in this region and know first-hand what our communities have endured,” she says.

Nukuhia Hadfield says the other encouraging news for Māori was contained in a recent MPI report which shows that the asset base of Māori collectives (trusts, incorporations and other entities but not individual farmers) has risen from $6 billion in 2013 to $19 billion in 2023. She says this data shows conclusively that Māori are a real force in the NZ economy. 

She adds that the future for Māori-agri is very bright judging by the calibre of rangatahi Māori entering the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Award. She says every year a new cohort of young people come through this competition and go on to greater things. The names of this year’s finalists will be announced soon. 

About the Ahuwhenua Trophy 

The Ahuwhenua Trophy is the most prestigious award for Māori agriculture and was inaugurated in 1933 by the great Māori Leader, Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor General at the time, Lord Bledisloe. The objective was and still is to encourage Māori farmers to improve their land and their overall farming performance with an emphasis on sustainability. On a three year rotational basis, the Trophy is competed for by Māori farmers and growers in the sheep and beef, dairy and horticultural sectors. This year the competition is for sheep and beef. 

Finalist Field Days 
  
The finalists in the senior Ahuwhenua Trophy competition will each hold a public field day at their respective properties. Each day runs from 9.00am – 3.30pm and all are welcome. We look forward to attending the field days and hearing more details about their farming operations. 
  
Field day dates:

• Thursday 3 April – Whangaroa Ngaiotonga Trust 

• Thursday 10 April – Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station 

Further details, including start point addresses, will be posted on the Ahuwhenua Trophy website and Facebook page.