Te Reo Māori Week (14 to 21 September 2024) is a timely opportunity for Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) to provide an update on its Māori Agribusiness work and encourage Māori sheep and beef farmers to apply for the 2025 Ahuwhenua Māori Trophy competition.
With a focus on building connections and fostering growth within the Māori farming community, B+LNZ’s Māori Agribusiness Extension Strategy (He Korowai Manaaki) continues to support whānau, whenua, and the agricultural sector as a whole.
Charles Taituha, B+LNZ’s Pouhere Rautaki Ahuwhenua Māori (Māori Agribusiness Strategy Lead) says, “In a nutshell, the strategy aims to engage and celebrate Māori farmers at all levels by encouraging participation in B+LNZ events, groups, hub farms, and awards.
“We’ve made really good progress, having big wins in getting a Māori lens at Board and Leadership team level, bringing Māori farmers into the B+LNZ Farmer Councils and establishing dedicated Māori resourcing,” he said.
For the first time, the Māori Agribusiness team has its own Regional Delivery Plan (RDP), guiding the Māori agribusiness extension programme with a focus on Māori farmer priorities.
“A key part of this strategy is the establishment of B+LNZ’s Kāhui or advisory group, made up of highly skilled and deeply connected Māori individuals. This group helps guide us to ensure B+LNZ stays committed to bringing Māori farmers along the journey,” explains Charles.
For more examples work underway, read this article covering a recent event, led by B+LNZ’s Māori Agribusiness team.
Stay tuned for more updates as we celebrate Te Reo Māori Week and continue to support and strengthen our partnership with Māori farmers across the sector.
2025 Ahuwhenua Māori Trophy competition for sheep and beef farming
As we celebrate Te Reo Māori Week, we are also looking ahead to the prestigious 2025 Ahuwhenua Māori Trophy competition for sheep and beef farming. B+LNZ is a proud sponsor of this competition, which seeks to recognise and celebrate excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming. Entries are now open, and we encourage Māori farmers, trusts, and entities across Aotearoa to participate.
The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, which began in 1933, remains a prestigious symbol of Māori achievement in the agricultural sector.
Charles says, “I highly encourage Māori sheep and beef farmers to apply! It’s an excellent opportunity to showcase your mahi and gain valuable feedback from industry professionals.
“The Ahuwhenua Awards is a fantastic celebration of the contributions of Māori to New Zealand’s agriculture sector.
“We’re committed to partner with farms to support their journey to being an award winning farming business. So even if you don’t make it through to being a finalist, there’s a lot of value in applying and capturing your achievements.”
Charles also encourages young farmers to consider putting themselves forward for the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer or Grower Award.
More information about entering the competition, judging criteria, and key dates can be found on the Ahuwhenua Trophy website here.
Māori and the red meat sector
Te Reo Māori Week is an opportunity to highlight the significant contribution Māori make 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 have recorded around 1850 Māori farms across Aotearoa, who are farming around 820,000 hectares.
Find out more
- Reo Māori Week on the official website.
- B+LNZ’s Regional Delivery Plan process.
- Ahuwhenua Awards.