How to grow the best kai
Some Maori landowners are seen as the best fit for their values
Ma¯ori groups have a compelling business case to move away from traditional farming and embrace investment in horticulture, industry sources say. Not only because the returns and job prospects are far greater, they say, but it is also a step towards a more sustainable future.
Iwi, hapu¯, as well as Ma¯ori trusts and landlords tend to hold strong beliefs in kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and mana whenua (traditional authority over the land). In recent years these organisations have moved away from passive use of their land holdings to take a more proactive approach to their investments.
The degradation of waterways has been of particular concern, say Ma¯ ori groups, because of the relationship they have with mana whenua.
Nga¯ti Whakaue Tribal Lands general manager Ray Morrison says any investments they consider are guided by mana whenua and kaitiakitanga values.
“When we look at investment propositions, diversification plays a big part in our decision-making along with the value proposition for our owners including shareholder wealth and job creation. These opportunities must also align to our organisational values and meet our risk profiles to ensure they also make commercial sense,” Morrison says.
In 2007, Tribal Lands got out of dairy farming due to environmental and commercial reasons when they reached a settlement with the regional council under its Nitrogen Incentives Programme. The company has recently tripled its forestry, taking advantage of carbon credits, and has also been exploring horticultural opportunities.
“We are part of the Te Arawa Primary Sector Group or TAPS which is a group of Te Arawa land-owners who collectively own over 30,000 hectares of land. We collaborate where possible through joint research, information sharing and investment opportunity analysis in order to leverage any collective advantage from potential agri-business opportunities,” he says.
In a move to diversify its portfolio,
get better returns, and become more sustainable, Pa¯mu, New Zealand’s largest farmer, recently converted a 40ha block to avocados.
NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular says the conversation about optimal use of land needs to be given more focus across New Zealand. “If we add a 4ha block of avocados to the average-sized dairy farm, you get diversification, great kai, a succession plan because wha¯nau can run a 4ha orchard, and it optimises the financial return to the farmer and the country.”
Katie Paul is part of the new generation of Ma¯ ori governors sitting on multimillion-dollar Ma¯ori land trusts in Bay of Plenty. Articulate, highly educated and grounded in traditional values, she says doing business with Ma¯ori trusts is not just a commercial transaction.
“Our owners have strong values around sustainability and the environment. If these values aren’t considered, then this could limit your time as a governor on these trusts. To put it simply, we are kaitiaki. We inherit the land, then we pass the land on. We need to think long term, and intergenerationally.”
Whanaungatanga (relationships, sense of family connection), collaboration, integration of resources, and the ability to pool resources and knowledge enables trusts to explore opportunities not available to an individual entity. Miro Ltd Partnership, a collaboration of 30 Ma¯ori iwi, hapu¯ , land trusts and investors says it aims to put high-value horticulture on underused land and teach Ma¯ori how to grow that horticulture. Central to this strategy is providing jobs and skills to those who are connected.
“In Te Teko we are leasing a 30ha block where the owners were receiving $500 per hectare per annum. We have now transformed that land with high-value horticulture, in this case blueberries, and are using local people to manage the land,” says Miro chief executive Liz Te Amo.
Miro’s aim over the next 10 to 20 years is to be providing $90,000 average export returns per hectare with their blueberry varieties.
“A lot of landowners don’t have the knowledge to recognise what the best crop for their land is, where to get their PVR (plant variety rights) or plants, land development plan or resource consent. Where is the water going to come from, who’s going to build the orchard and who’s going to do the marketing and distribution?
“So co-ordinating all of that, Miro can assist Ma¯ori growers by playing the role of Value Chain Captain for Ma¯ori landowners, similar to the role Zespri plays for kiwifruit or Rockit Apples plays for apples.” ■ — NZME