May 27, 2018
Training farms wins Ahuwhenua trophy
Ngati Rangitihi’s Onuku Maori Lands Trust has won 2018 Ahuwhenua Trophy for Maori excellence in farming for the work it is doing on its Boundary Road property near Lake Rotomahana.
The award was presented at a gala event in Christchurch on Friday attended by 650 people.
The trust owns and operates several farms in the area south of Rotorua on land it got back from the Department of Lands and Survey in 1982.
Boundary Road was a neighbouring property it bought in a run down state from Rotorua District Council in 2004.
It now milks 220 cows on the 72 hectare block and produces about 90,000 kilograms of milk solids a year.
Manager Alan Rondon is of Ngati Rangitihi descent, as the trust strategy is to train owners in farm management on Boundary Road so they can eventually run Onuku‘s larger dairy farms.
Judges says the strategy demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility to their people.
They also praised the trust’s environmental record including its membership of Project Rerewhakaaitu which aims to reduce nitrogen and phosphate levels in the region’s lakes and waterways.
The other finalist was the Proprietors of Mawhera Incorporation whose dairy farm is near Hokitika.
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