Next week, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) will join Aotearoa in celebrating te reo Māori Language week to honour Māori’s significant and growing contribution to New Zealand’s red meat sector.
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 Chief Insights Officer Jeremy Baker says Māori play a significant and growing part of our sector as large-scale operators reflected in these figures.
“B+LNZ sees te reo Māori Language Week as an opportunity to highlight the contribution Māori have to the red meat sector across the whole supply chain.
“One of B+LNZ’s key priorities is to strengthen its partnership with Māori as stakeholders within B+LNZ. Our best possible appreciation, understanding and use of te reo Māori is an absolute prerequisite to growing this partnership,” says Mr Baker.
“We are developing our Māori engagement strategy with support from our new independent Director, Bayden Barber”, added Mr Baker. “We are also strengthening our regional capability to engage with Māori sheep and beef producers”.
B+LNZ is a proud partner of the Ahuwhenua Excellence in Māori Farming competition.
“We launched the Ahuwenua Trophy competition for sheep and beef farming 2022 at the Red Meat Sector Conference in Rotorua earlier this year,” Mr Baker says.
B+LNZ are also strong supporters of the Federation of Māori Authorities' strategic and farm productivity programmes.
Throughout the regions, B+LNZ has initiatives where Māori farms lead and participate including catchment groups and farming workshops.
About te reo Māori Language Week
Every year since 1975, New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week. This year, te reo Māori Language week is running from 13-19 September. The theme is ‘Kia kaha te Reo Māori’, meaning ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong’. You can find useful information and resources on the official website.