Maatutaera Akonga wins Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award

Maatutaera Akonga, winner of the Young Maori Grower award, at the awards dinner in Rotorua to announce the winner of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Competition for Horticulture, on November 20.

The winner of the inaugural Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower Award is 26-year-old Maatutaera Akonga.

Maatutaera is of Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungungu descent and is senior leading hand at Llewellyn Horticulture based in Hastings.

The announcement was made by Dr Charlotte Severne, the Māori Trustee and chief executive of Te Tumu Paeroa, at the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards dinner in Rotorua on Friday.

The two other finalists in the competition were 24-year-old Brandon Cross of Tauranga, who works as trainee orchard manager for the large kiwifruit orchard management and post-harvest company Seeka, and 25-year-old Finnisha Tuhiwai, who is packhouse manager for Maungatapere Berries located west of Whangarei in the rural township of Maungatapere.

Charlotte presented Maatutaera with the winner's trophy and congratulated him on his achievement.

All three finalist were presented with koru trophies and certificates by the sponsors of the award, Te Puni Kokiri, Primary ITO, Te Tumu Paeroa and Horticulture New Zealand.

Judge Aaron Hunt from Te Tumu Paeroa says the standard of entrants in this, the inaugural competition for horticulture was very high and also reflects the number of young Māori who are making successful careers in horticulture.

"Māori have always been involved in the horticulture sector and in recent years they have been involved in significant new enterprises," he said.

As part of the judging process the finalists attended an intensive two day study tour designed to provide a range of insights, inspiration, and experiences across the horticultural sector.

This included visits to the Plant and Foods Research centre in Hawke's Bay, other horticultural operations, and an opportunity to meet with Māori leaders involved in the horticultural sector.