Two kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty and one in Northland have been named finalists in this year's Ahuwhenua Trophy competition for Māori horticulture property.
The finalists are Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective based at Te Puke, Otama Marere Trust from Paengaroa, and Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust based near Kerikeri. The finalists were announced by the Minister of Māori Development, Tama Potaka, at an event at Parliament attended by representatives from government and industry.
Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective comprises three iwi and operates a total of 158 hectares of kiwifruit across three orchards. The collective is Zespri's largest single Māori shareholder, with a combined asset value of over US$78.00 million.
Otama Marere Trust manages more than 21 hectares of kiwifruit, avocados, and native plantings. The land was previously leased to a local golf club before being developed by the trust in the 1980s. Current plantings include 11.87 hectares of Hayward, 2.21 hectares of Sungold G3, and 7.8 hectares of Sungold organic kiwifruit.
Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust operates six kiwifruit orchards near Kerikeri, including 32 hectares of Zespri Sungold G3 under cover. The orchards have lease and supply agreements with Seeka. While forestry remains the trust's main asset class, investment in kiwifruit was undertaken to diversify its asset base.
Ahuwhenua Trophy management committee chair Nukuhia Hadfield said the finalists represent Māori growers active in horticulture, which is currently the fastest-growing primary export industry in New Zealand.
Source: RuralNews
