Ahuwhenua Trophy

Rau rangatira mā, e huihui nei, Ngāti Whātua iwi, Ngā Kaiwhakahaere, Ngā Kaiwhakataetae Ahuwhenua, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, Ngāti Whātua iwi, Ahuwhenua Trophy organisers and finalists; ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Hon Steven Joyce, Minister of Economic Development; Arikinui Sir Tumu te Heuheu, Paramount Chief of Ngāti Tūwharetoa; and Kingi Smiler, Chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Executive Committee.

Thank you for inviting me to attend this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards ceremony here in Auckland this evening.  Tonight, I want to highlight why I think this ceremony is special.  In doing that, I’m conscious that I’ve got a slot between entrée and the main to make my comments, and there are others who share this timeslot – so I’ll keep my part brief!

Firstly, being here tonight is special because it is an opportunity for me to reaffirm the relationship between my office and this competition.  It was my predecessor, Lord Bledisloe, who donated the magnificent trophy that will be awarded tonight.

Lord Bledisloe was a man of great foresight and goodwill.  Together with his wife, Lady Elaine, the Bledisloes’ gift of the Waitangi Estate to all New Zealanders to mark the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi gave us a place to celebrate our national day.

As a man who apparently loved all things agricultural, Lord Bledisloe saw in Sir Apirana Ngata’s suggestion of the Ahuwhenua Trophy a means to both show-case the best in Māori farming and to highlight the deep connection Māori have with the land. 

This year marks the 80th anniversary of Lord Bledisloe approving in 1932 the first rules for awarding of the Trophy.  Next year will mark the 80th anniversary of the inaugural presentation to the winner, William Swinton of Raukokore in the Bay of Plenty, in 1933.  Next year, will also mark the 10th anniversary of the restoration of the awards after the hiatus of the 1990s.

The connections between the Office of Governor-General and the Trophy have some continuity.  Sir Arthur Porritt presented the Ahuwhenua Trophy in 1968 to Mr G.C. Hopa at Turangawaewae Marae.   My immediate predecessor, Sir Anand Satyanand, has the historic distinction of presenting both the dairy and the sheep and cattle trophy cups to the same organisation—the Taupō-based Waipapa 9 Trust in the 2010 and 2011 awards.

The re-establishment of the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards brings me to my second point.  These awards are also special because they highlight the prowess of the finalists and their success in dairy farming.  Reaching this point is the culmination of years of hard work and planning, and everyone who has played a role deserves to be acknowledged.

The original intention for the awards was to help promote proficiency and skills on the land among Māori farmers, trusts and incorporations.  While each finalist’s farm differs in terrain, size, carrying capacity, yield and governance structure, they are guided by the concept of kaitiakitanga.  This guardianship of the land redefines the notion of “return.”  Tonight’s awards recognise that excellence demands more than short-term financial gain, it includes the need to protect the environment, invest in people and preserve the land for future generations.  The decision by the Ahuwhenua Management Committee to establish Ahuwhenua Young Māori trainee/cadet award, which is being awarded for the first time tonight, reflects this holistic approach.  As the well-known proverb stresses: Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua—care for the land, care for the people, go forward.  And, like the strands of a rope, the land, the people and the future are bound together as one—damage one and the others weaken and the rope begins to unravel. 

This brings me to my third and final point.  These awards are special because they highlight the strength of Māori interests in our primary industries, especially agriculture, and the contribution of the Māori economic base to the betterment of Aotearoa-New Zealand.  The estimated asset base of $36.9 billion, with almost a third being in primary industries - agriculture, forestry and fishing,  means the Māori economy is a feature to be acknowledged. 

Twenty years ago, Bob Cottrell, the former chairman of the Ahuwhenua management committee, once described Māori farming as a “sleeping giant.”   I think everyone would agree that the giant has well and truly woken up and its influence is beginning to be felt.  The establishment last year of Miraka, the first Māori-owned whole milk powder plant near Taupō, speaks much of how this influence is evolving. 

And that is as it should be.  Māori once dominated New Zealand’s agricultural sector.   The quickening regeneration of Māori capacity in farming with the on-going pace of Treaty settlements and other Māori investment, in a world that increasingly demands efficient, effective and sustainably produced food, the future prospects for Māori agriculture, as a part of New Zealand’s farming scene, are very optimistic.

In conclusion, I want to congratulate the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards management committee, and all its supporters and sponsors, on organising this superb event.  I acknowledge Doug Leeder, who is retiring from his role as Chief Judge of the dairy awards, he and his co-judges have kept the quality bar high.

Most of all, however, I want to congratulate again the finalists.  While only one of you will be named as the Ahuwhenua Trophy winner, getting to this point is an outstanding achievement and is an example for others to follow.  Your success reminds me of the words of Sir Apirana Ngata:  “E tipu, e rea, mō ngā rā o tōu ao; ko tō ringa ki ngā rākau a te Pākehā hei ara mō tō tinana; ko tō ngākau ki ngā taonga a ō tīpuna Māori hei tikitiki mō tō māhuna; ko tō wairua ki tō Atua, nāna nei ngā mea katoa”.  “Grow tender shoot for the days of your world.  Turn your hand to the tools of the Pākehā for the wellbeing of your body. Turn your heart to the treasures of your ancestors as a crown for your head. Give your soul unto God the author of all things.”

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.