The hunt is on for the nation’s best Māori sheep and beef farmers, with entries open for the 2022 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition.
The competition is designed to recognise excellence in Māori farming, be it the farmers themselves or successful Māori farming enterprises.
Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee chair Nuku Hadfield says the awards provide a unique opportunity to showcase excellent farming enterprises to both Māori and the wider farming sector.
Māori-led organisations contribute more than 15% of red meat exports from Aotearoa. Hadfield says they have done much to expand and develop their farming operations both in sustainability and profitability.
Speaking to Te Ao Māori News, 2021 Young Māori Farmer of the Year Quinn Morgan praised the recognition and networking opportunities the awards offer.
“To even get over there and rub shoulders with those other two [finalists] is a massive achievement for me.”
“To be a kaitiaki here in Aotearoa is a really big thing, especially the way agriculture is going. Farming has really ticked all the boxes for me,” he said.
In its 89th year, the Ahuwhenua Trophy was launched by the great Sir Apirana Ngata and then governor-general Lord Bledisloe.
Entries for the 2022 event close on Friday, December 10, with the winner announced at a gala dinner on Friday, May 27, 2022, in Hawke’s Bay.
Entries can be submitted here, on the Ahuwhenua Trophy Website.