B+LNZ is joining Aotearoa in celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), which kicked off on Monday and runs through to Sunday 17 Hepetema (September).
It’s an opportunity to highlight one of our key priorities to strengthen our partnership with Māori as stakeholders within B+LNZ.
Māori make up nearly 40 percent of the meat processing workforce and more than 15 percent of sheep and beef exports come from Māori farming interests.
B+LNZ’s Māori Agribusiness Advisor Charles Taituha says, “That’s a significant contribution by Māori to New Zealand’s red meat sector across the whole supply chain and something we want to honour this week.”
“Our mahi in Māori agribusiness is to be a Korowai of support and advocacy for our Māori levy payers as well as the wider sector,” adds Charles.
“We’re proud to support our Māori farming community and that focus continues as we engage further with Whenua Māori levy payers, iwi and Hapū to gain better understanding and trust. We’re particularly looking at how we can keep each other informed and aware of challenges, opportunities and insights behind and beyond the farm gate. This work is all underpinned by the core values of whanau and manaakitanga, so partnerships are critical.”
‘Waiho I te toipoto, Kaua I te toiroa’, Lets us be close together, not far apart’
Ahuwhenua Excellence in Māori Farming
B+LNZ is also a proud partner of the Ahuwhenua Excellence in Māori Farming competition, which acknowledges and celebrates business excellence in New Zealand's important pastoral and horticultural sectors. Held annually, the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition rotates between the diary, horticulture and sheep and beef industries. It offers entrants the opportunity to tell their story – of their land and their people – and have every aspect of their farming business evaluated by a team of skilled agribusiness professionals.
About Māori Language Week
This year, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori runs from 11–17 Hepetema (September) 2023. The theme of Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori – making the language stronger – continues this year. The campaign is helping to achieve the goal of 1 million speakers of te reo Māori in 2040.