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| Historically DairyNZ has taken a broad approach to working with its stakeholders offering its resources to all dairy farmers utilising a common methodology. Consequently many Maori dairy farmers have missed out on the collaborative approach and tools used by DairyNZ, partly because many of these farmers face some unique challenges, including multiple ownership. DairyNZ saw an opportunity to increase engagement levels with Maori Trust farms allowing these Trusts to gain a better return on their levy payments. |
The concept of developing a Focus Farm with a Central Plateau Maori Trust was considered, with the benefits of engaging with Maori Trusts and better understanding how to overcome the challenges that the Central Plateau encounters, being two of the greater potential outcomes identified. It was timely that the Tauhara Moana Trust, just north of Taupo, was reclaiming their property from a previous leasee/receivership settlement. This provided DairyNZ with a blank canvass to work with in conjunction with 50:50 sharemilkers, Olly and Kim Gibberd, farm advisor Mark Johnston and the Tauhara Moana Trustees. They have engaged with DairyNZ in a development programme making this business a good fit with the Focus farm concept which is to test existing and new tools around sustainability, productivity and people capability on Maori Trust Dairy Farms.
One of the other big goals for the DairyNZ team relative to the Focus Farm is to exemplify different tools and technologies to overcome some of the challenges that the Central Plateau dairy farming community - Maori and non-Maori - have to face with respect to large herds, environmental and climatic change, sustainability and people capability.
The DairyNZ Maori Team is excited about the opportunity of working with Tauhara Moana, the Community Farms and the Central Plateau dairy farming community.
