Ladies' night at Farmer of Year

SUCCEEDING ON: Hemoata Kopa, runner-up in the Young Maori Farmer of the Year competition.

A teenager from Matawaia, west of Moerewa, was last week named runner-up to the Young Maori Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year at the Ahuwhenua Awards in Wanganui.

Nineteen-year-old Hemoata Kopa and Hannah Wallace (Wairoa), who won the title, were the first female finalists in the the competition's history.

Hemoata said she was proud to be recognised for her accomplishments and grateful for the encouragement of her whanau and tutors at Taratahi, who had got her to where she was.

"It is a privilege to be an Ahuwhenua Young Mori Farmer Awards finalist," she added.

Lead Judge Peter Little (Te Puni Kkiri) said all the finalists had shown impressive commitment to career development within the sheep and beef sector.

"Each of them made the commitment at an early age to leave home and enrol in training and associated work experience," he said.

"It's not easy for 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds to decide to move to another part of the country, pursue a career and commit to the training required to achieve their ambitions. I was impressed."

Hemoata, a second-year Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre student, is certainly dedicated to furthering her career in agriculture, and is no stranger to awards. She has won a number of scholarships, including the Dargaville Field Days Scholarship, and others from Landcorp, the Salvation Army and the ADB Williams Trust, and she aims to complete the Level 5 Massey Diploma in Agriculture. She is currently completing the National Certificate in Sheep and Beef, Level 4.

Hemoata was born into a farming family, but agricultural career was her "back-up" career choice. She initially planned to join the Army, but switched to farming after speaking to a Taratahi representative at a careers expo.

At Taratahi she had learned to value the outdoor lifestyle and the ability to work independently on a farm. She said she enjoyed the variety of farming, doing something different every day, while education had given her the confidence to believe she could have a high level career in agriculture.

Her tutor Matt Smith said he was pleased her talents had been recognised.

"Hemo has a great ability to get on with all staff she has worked with. She shows a lot of natural stockmanship skills, and knows where to stand and how much pressure to apply," he said.

"She has a great understanding of the expectations of her when she is working at Tautane, and she achieves those every day."

Te Tumu Paeroa chief executive Jamie Tuuta says it was reassuring to know that the future of Maori agriculture was in "such good hands".

"Once again the high calibre of applicants proves that agriculture is a thriving industry, one that directly impacts rural communities for the better," he said.

"New Zealand's future success requires strong, capable, skilled leadership, and all three finalists exemplify these qualities. Their passion and commitment to farming excellence ensures a strong future for Maori land."