Farmers and friends look into future
‘We
started with a new vision, that the land will sustain its people. This gave the trustees energy and authority, and a strategic plan bought-into by shareholders empowered the board to dream.
The successes and challenges facing Ma¯ori farming businesses now and in the future were well aired when around 85 farmers, trustees and agribusiness professionals gathered at Rangihamama Farm, near Kaikohe, for a hui aimed at Ma¯ori in the agricultural sector.
The event was part of Extension 350 (E350), a Northland initiative based on farmer to farmer learning aimed at lifting farm profitability, environmental sustainability and farmer wellbeing.
Project lead Luke Beehre said the project was all about the farmer.
“It’s farmer-led, farmerfocused, and the farmers learn from, and teach, each other. It’s attractive to all farmers, not just those who have been farming for years,” he said.
Guest speakers provided ideas and tools for owners, workers and trustees/ shareholders to help their businesses to succeed, best utilise their land and provide for their wha¯nau, while Sonny Tau, chairman of the Rangihamama Oma¯pere Trust, which hosted the gathering, challenged those present to think differently, take advice, consider their options, including diversification away from traditional sheep, beef and dairy farming, and “to find your own pathway forward”.
Keynote speaker Traci Houpapa, one of the 10 most influential women in New Zealand agribusiness, said she firmly believed that Ma¯ori had a significant contribution to make in terms of New Zealand’s strategic direction and economic wealth.
“We are heavily invested in people and in our land,” she said.
Dairy farmer, industry leader and Rangihamama Oma¯pere trustee Bruce Cutforth spoke about the keys to the success of the trust’s two farms — clarity of purpose and ensuring that the organisational structure of the trust was robust and able to deliver.
“We started with a new vision, that the land will sustain its people,” he said. “This gave the trustees energy and authority, and a strategic plan bought-into by shareholders empowered the board to dream.”
Attention to governance
Bruce Cutforth Dairy farmer, industry leader and Rangihamama
Oma¯pere trustee
created clear and strategic delegated authorities, defined the roles of governance and management and developed key accountabilities, which carried the vision forward and ensured the whenua was not put at risk.
Tiaki Hunia, Fonterra’s general manager, Ma¯ori strategy/Pauhere Ma¯ori, said the biggest challenges facing Ma¯ori were not access to capital but building partnerships and developing confidence.
“Ma¯ori have to tell stories of their success, because this will generate more success,” he said.
BNZ partner Sam Johnson, one of the judges who conferred the Ahuwhenua Trophy for Ma¯ori excellence in farming on the Rangihamama Oma¯pere Trust for the top sheep and beef farm in the country last year, said the characteristics common to successful trusts and incorporations included clear direction, sound processes and good governance.
“The Rangihamama Oma¯pere Trust knows the importance of fiscal responsibility, of having budgets completed and reviewed,” he said.
“The trustees make good use of independent expert advice to instil confidence among shareholders. They use social media well, and have a really good way of sharing a story and communicating regularly and clearly.”
Ben Dalton, Northland’s senior regional official — Provincial Development Unit, MBIE, spoke about aspects of land tenure that were inhibiting development and the importance of water storage. There was also vigorous discussion around water usage during the panel session.
E350 farmer chairman Ken Hames and Mr Beehre discussed the project’s vision and the opportunities it presented for Northland farmers, describing it as offering expertise, mentoring and business advice that all farmers could access to make their businesses more successful, with the potential to transform the agricultural sector.
They hoped the hui would encourage more Ma¯ori to join the programme.
E350 comprises 10 regional clusters, each of which has five target farmers who work oneon-one with a mentor farmer and a farm adviser. Five associate farmers are invited to learn alongside each target farm.
Seven clusters are up and running with three more under development. The programme will ultimately involve 350 Northland farmers over five years.
It is now looking for mentors, targets and associates for the final three dairy clusters (Dargaville/West Coast, Bay of Islands and southern Northland), and for associate farmers across the balance of the region.
Anyone with an interest should contact Mr Beehre at luke.beehre@northlandnz.com.