The two 2025 Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists (Whangaroa Ngaitonga Trust and Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station) recently held their field day showcasing excellence in Māori sheep and beef farming. As a sponsor, B+LNZ staff are actively involved in helping bring the awards to life from judging to event facilitation and on-the-ground support.
On a three-year rotation, the Ahuwhenua Trophy is competed for by Māori farmers, growers and landowners in the sheep and beef, dairy and horticultural sectors. This year, the competition is for sheep and beef.
B+LNZ is incredibly proud to sponsor the Ahuwhenua Trophy for Excellence in Māori Farming, which celebrates outstanding Māori agribusiness and the people behind it. Beyond our sponsorship, we are deeply invested in supporting the Kaupapa (strategy/policy) of these awards through significant in-kind contributions.
For this year’s finalist field days – one held at Whangaroa Ngaitonga Trust in Northland and the other on the East Coast at Tawapata South Māori Incorporation Onenui Station – our involvement extended well beyond the logo.
Pania King, B+LNZ’s Mātanga Whenua Māori – Māori Agribusiness Advisor for Tairāwhiti/ Ngai Tahu judged this year’s Ahuwhenua trophy and spoke on behalf of the first-round judges at Whangaroa Ngaiotonga field day.
Charles Taituha, B+LNZ’s Pouhere Rautaki Ahuwhenua Māori (Māori Strategy and Relationship Lead) facilitated both field events. Our Chair, Kate Acland, joined other B+LNZ staff, board and Kāhui members to celebrate the finalists’ achievements and connect with their whānau and wider communities.
King says, “It’s a privilege to be part of recognising the excellence, innovation, and leadership happening in Māori sheep and beef farming and it has been fantastic to have such a strong B+LNZ presence in all aspects of supporting the awards.”
She says it’s been a mammoth effort from the Māori Agribusiness team in terms of time and mahi (work) that went into supporting the Trophy field days. “We’ve been busy behind the scenes supporting by judging right through to the time our team has spent in meetings, Field-day support reporting and more!”
“A huge thanks to B+LNZ Farmer Councillors and Kāhui members who attended and helped out at these events,” she adds.
The eventual winner of the competition will be announced at the awards dinner held on Friday 6 June in Palmerston North.
Learn more about the finalists and the two field days on the official Ahuwhenua website.
B+LNZ Kāhui
B+LNZ Kāhui (Māori advisory group) acts as a sounding board for B+LNZ extension work and policy positions by providing advice and insights into Māori sheep, beef and dairy farmers’ perspectives, needs and concerns. The group supports the B+LNZ Māori agribusiness team with a Regional Delivery Plan (RDP), that would commonly align with the current B+LNZ Farmer Council RDPs.
Meet B+LNZ’s Kāhui.