Ahuwhenua Trophy

05/06/2026

Aukaha News e whakanui ana i nga mahi o Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective!

The Bay of Plenty’s $130 million Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective has secured Māori horticulture's highest honour, winning the prestigious 2026 Ahuwhenua

05/06/2026

🏆🏆🏆A Hawke’s Bay supervisor who began picking fruit with her whānau at 15-years-old has been named the winner of the 2026 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award - recognising her outstanding achievements and leadership in New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

Te Rina Joe (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu), Supervisor/Orchard Hand at Pakuratahi Orchard for Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development Ltd at Tangoio, Hawke’s Bay, has since built a career grounded in purpose working for her iwi, on their land, overseeing teams of 40–60 workers across a 55-hectare apple operation.

“Horticulture is such a big part of my life, and just having the chance to be part of the competition has been an amazing experience.

“To my peers, Larissa and Rob who were also finalists, it has been a pleasure going through this journey with you.”

The announcement was made at the awards dinner in Whangārei, attended by more than 700 guests from across the primary sector, government, and Māori communities.

The award was presented by Te Tumu Paeroa’s Sonya Rimene with each finalist receiving a $5,000 cash scholarship, and the winner receiving an additional $5,000.

“The competition is about future-proofing leadership in Māori horticulture, and in the short time it’s been running, it’s doing just that,” Lead Judge Sam Vivian-Greer.

“It’s great to see our talented rangatahi emerging from the fast growing primary sector.”

The finalists in the 2026 competition were (winner) Te Rina Joe (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu), Pakuratahi Orchard for Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development Ltd, Hawke’s Bay, Larissa Wooding-Ngata (Ngāti Porou) Craigmore Sustainables, Gisborne, Robert John Manuel, (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Rehia, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Raakaipaaka) Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust, Kerikeri.

Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee Chair Nukuhia Hadfield says Te Rina's story is one of real purpose.

“She had the opportunity to work for her iwi, on their land, and she took it. The connection between a person, their people, and place is exactly what this award is about.

"This competition continues to show us is that the talent is there, young Māori who are grounded in who they are, serious about their craft, and ready to lead, quietly shaping what Māori horticulture looks like for the generations ahead,” Hadfield says.

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A big thank you also to sponsors of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award: Te Tumu Paeroa, Te Puni Kōkiri, Women in Horticulture: United Fresh New Zealand, Horticulture New Zealand, New Zealand Apples & Pears

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📸Photo 1: Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower winner Te Rina Joe
📸Photo 2: Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower finalists (left) Larissa Wooding-Ngata and (right) Robert John Manuel with winner Te Rina Joe

05/06/2026

🏆🏆🏆Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective has been named the winner of the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy - New Zealand's most prestigious award for excellence in Māori horticulture.

As Zespri's largest Māori shareholder, the collective has grown its combined asset value beyond $130 million since 2018, embodying kotahitanga as a commercial force.

“We’re absolutely elated, really proud of our team and it’s an honour and a privilege to stand alongside Otama Marere and Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust on this occasion,” Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective CEO Charles Russell says.

“Our whakatauki is ‘one orchard at a time’…that’s where we exercise our mana motuhake and our rangatiratanga.

“We’ve grown this land for generations and if we go back to our roots I’m sure that’s where the prosperity is.”

The announcement was made Friday evening at the awards dinner in Whangārei, attended by more than 700 guests from across the primary sector, government, and Māori communities.

The award was announced by Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka.

“All finalists set a remarkable benchmark,” Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee Chair Nukuhia Hadfield says.

"You could not have separated the standard of operations by passion or purpose but Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective rose to the top. What they collectively represent for Te Ao Māori and the sector is something every New Zealander should take pride in.”

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A special thanks to our valued Ahuwhenua Trophy sponsors:
Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry for Primary Industries, Te Tumu Paeroa, BNZ, Horticulture New Zealand and Zespri, Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Fruitfed Supplies, BDO, FMG, Massey University, New Zealand Bioeconomy Science Institute, New Zealand Fruitgrowers Charitable Trust, Ecolab and NZ Māori Tourism, Kono NZ LP.

05/06/2026

✨You’re watching the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards - here to celebrate excellence in Māori Horticulture🏆

🌿He toa taua, he toa pahekeheke te tohu Ahuwhenua

04/06/2026

🌿Tonight we welcome our finalists and many guests to the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards dinner in Whangārei.
✨You can watch the live-stream right here on our page✨

Our Finalists are:

Ahuwhenua Trophy, Excellence in Māori Horticulture Award;
🏆Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective (Te Puke)
🏆Otama Marere Trust (Paengaroa)
🏆Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust (Kerikeri)

Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award (pictured left to right);
🏆Te Rina Joe (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu), Pakuratahi Orchard for Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development Ltd, Hawke’s Bay
🏆Robert John Manuel, (Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Rehia, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Raakaipaaka) Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust, Kerikeri
🏆Larissa Wooding-Ngata (Ngāti Porou) Craigmore Sustainables, Gisborne

A big thank you to all our sponsors for supporting this amazing event

12/05/2026

✨He Maimai Aroha ✨
🌿It is with sadness we acknowledge the passing of Homman Felk Tapsell (Rangiiwaho, Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Makino, Ngāti Pikiao, and Ngāti Raukawa) a man deeply devoted to the whenua.

🌿Homman brought more than 25 years of experience to his mahi leading Otama Marere to become one of the first Māori orchards to transition to organic production, while championing wetland restoration and supporting Māori growers.

🌿He embodied the values of Otama Marere - Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Kotahitanga, Tika me te Pono, Mātauranga, Kaitiakitanga, Wairua.

🌿We feel privileged to have spent time alongside him recently, showcasing the mahi of Otama Marere Trust. His expert guidance, sharp wit, and generosity will not be forgotten.

✨Moe mai rā e te rangatira✨

23/04/2026

📣📣📣Large crowds attend final Ahuwhenua Trophy Field Day

🌿Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust, which operates six kiwifruit orchards near Kerikeri in Northland, opened its doors for the final field day for this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy – Excellence in Māori Horticulture competition.

“We’re incredibly proud to have hosted the Ahuwhenua Trophy field day and to have welcomed so many manuhiri onto our orchard,” Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust Chairman Pita Tipene says.

“We hope visitors take away a deeper understanding of how we operate - balancing commercial outcomes with our responsibilities as kaitiaki.”

✨Guests were welcomed at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri, where they heard presentations from representatives including Chairperson Pita Tipene and CEO Heidi Mackey. They discussed the Trust's decision to move into high-value horticulture, proving that kiwifruit can be grown successfully outside traditional growing regions.

“I’m really proud of our team. This is more than just a job. It’s about the vision that we are all working towards, ‘he whenua hua, he tangata ora’, which means ‘productive lands, people, and wellbeing’, Ngāti Hine Trust CEO Heidi Mackey says

🥝Guests were then taken to visit one of the orchards for a closer look at operations.

Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee Chair Nukuhia Hadfield says the field day was another example of how Māori growers continue to demonstrate innovation and add value to the growing sector.

"What stands out about Ngāti Hine is their clear strategic vision that honours kaitiakitanga while delivering consistent productivity gains.

“Their commitment to growing employment opportunities for their people combined with strong partnerships demonstrates their vision and approach to horticulture. They're commercially successful while staying true to their values and responsibilities to whānau and whenua," she says.

The other 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition finalists are Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective, Te Puke, and Otama Marere Trust, Paengaroa.

🏆The overall winner will be announced Friday 5 June at the awards dinner in Whangārei.

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21/04/2026

📣📣A reminder that the third and final field day 'start location' has changed

🌿Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust – Kerikeri Field day:
Thursday 23 April 9:45am – 3:15pm

UPDATED STARTING LOCATION:
Turner Centre, 43 Cobham Road, Kerikeri.
Parking available onsite.

Assemble at 9:45am for a 10:00am start
Public event all welcome, Nau mai haramai!

🌿More info on our Ahuwhenua FB 'event' page 🌿

03/04/2026

02/04/2026

📣📣📣More than 200 people turned out this week to a field day hosted by Otama Marere Trust – one of three finalists vying to be the top Māori horticulture entity in the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition.

“It was fortunate weather made for a great turnout and the positive feedback from people was welcomed especially about the wetland area,” Otama Marere Advisory Trustee Diane Berghan says.

“People were able to see that we are not just about growing kiwifruit but also about how we restore the land and what we give back to the land.

“The day was also about acknowledging the owners of Otama Marere and the support they give the trustees, and the decisions they are making now for future generations.”

Otama Marere Trust manages 45 hectares of Māori freehold land at Paengaroa near Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty and takes its name from the pā site once occupied by Rangiiwaho and his whānau. Established as an Ahu Whenua Trust in 1979, the land was leased for a 60-year term to Te Puke Golf Club before orchard development began in the 1980s under Sir Peter Tapsell's leadership.

Today's operations include more than 21 hectares of kiwifruit, avocados, native plantings, and 6.3 hectares of protected wetlands. The Trust diversifies through commercial property investment and Māori partnerships.

Guests heard presentations about the Trust’s history, operations and aspirations before being taken on a brief tour of the orchard to see some of the developments taking place.

Ahuwhenua Trophy Chair Nukuhia Hadfield praised Otama Marere Trust for running an enjoyable field day.

“Otama Marere has worked hard in establishing a diversity of crops on orchard with an improving productivity trajectory, and they have taken a leading role in growing SunGold G3 - as one of the first Māori owned orchards to grow this crop.

“They first entered kiwifruit production in the early 1980s, accepting the challenge of developing a new horticultural venture that has since grown into one of the region’s most successful operations.”

“This gave attendees a picture of what they have achieved by hard work and determination over many years,” Hadfield says.

While severe weather forced the cancellation of the first field day at Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective in Te Puke, the competition remains unaffected as judging had already been completed the day before.

The third and final field day will be held at the Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust property at Kerikeri in Northland on Thursday 23 April.

The overall winner will be announced at the awards dinner on Friday 5 June in Whangārei.