October 26, 2022
Decade of work to bring Wi Pere farm to Ahuwhenua standard
A director of Wi Pere Trust says it’s taken a lot of work to turn hard East Coast hill country into an award winning property.
The trust’s sheep and beef farming operation at Te Karaka, near Gisborne won the 2022 Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori sheep and beef farm.
Kingi Smiler says long-serving chair Alan Haronga and manager Tim Rhodes have focused on developing the best environment and farming plans, taking into account they are farming for future generations.
“Over the last 10 or 12 years they guys have really done a fantastic job of optimising how we run the farm and making sure it is in line with the environmental changes we need to make and riparian planting as well as creating a good sustainable income from the property so the team has done a fantastic job,” he says.
Wi Pere produces more than 1 million kilograms of meat and fibre a year, and supports a range of community activities within Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Te Whanau a Kai including the upkeep of Te Rongopai Marae at Waituhi.