Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective has taken out the 2026 Ahuwhenua Trophy, New Zealand’s premier award for excellence in Māori horticulture.
The Te Puke-based collective was named the winner at the Ahuwhenua Awards dinner in Whangārei, where more than 700 guests from the primary sector, government and Māori communities gathered to celebrate Māori excellence on the whenua.
The award was announced by Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka.
Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective is Zespri’s largest Māori shareholder and has grown its combined asset value to more than $130 million since 2018.
The collective has been recognised for showing how kotahitanga can drive commercial success, bringing iwi together through horticulture, whenua-based enterprise and long-term investment.
Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee Chair Nukuhia Hadfield said all three finalists set an exceptional benchmark for Māori horticulture, but Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective stood out for what it represents for Te Ao Māori and the wider sector.
The 2026 competition, now in its 93rd year, was contested by three finalists: Mātai Pacific Iwi Collective from Te Puke, Otama Marere Trust from Paengaroa, and Ngāti Hine Forestry Trust from Kerikeri.
Public field days held during the competition drew hundreds of visitors across Northland and the Bay of Plenty.
The awards night also saw Te Rina Joe (Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Kahungunu), from Pakuratahi Orchard for Ngāti Pāhauwera Commercial Development Ltd, named the 2026 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower.
