July 16, 2013
Farm hui looking for growth
The organisers of a major hui in Gisborne tomorrow hope it will lead to a more united Māori agribusiness sector in Tairawhiti.
The hui, called by Te Whakaari Incorporation and Pakihiroa Farms, will look at a wide range of land-use and farming topics.
Pakihiroa Chair Hilton Collier says Māori landowners are looking for ways to work together to improve the productivity and profitability of their farms.
He says as someone who grew up on a farm in Ruatoria which sold its milk direct to the UK under the Nati brand, he believes more can be done to add value to today’s farms.
"Somewhere over the past 30 or 40 years we seem to have lost control of the way we sell our produce around the world and we think it's time to start revisiting the opportunities, New Zealand as a country can produce enough kai to feed about 20 million people. There is a world population of 7 billion people. Who do we supply our food to, how do they want it and how do we realign our farming systems to deliver that product to them," Mr Collier says.
The hui is booked out, with people coming from around the country for it.
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