Onuku Miraka Hipi – One steep learning curve

The AgFirst Central Ph 07 349 4333 | www.agfirst.co.nz | email rotorua@agfirst.co.nz

Over the last 12 years the Trust has carried out a number of major developments on their 2,400-hectare mixed Dairy, Sheep and Beef and Forestry property located at Rerewhakaaitu, next to Lake Rotomahana and under the watchful eye of Mount Tarawera . Adding Dairy Sheep to the land use portfolio (which includes a Honey export company in Whakatane) provides a perfect fit with the Trusts long-term strategic thinking around its Business, Environmental, Animal Welfare and Kaimahi profiles . Onuku is regarded as being a leader amongst Maori Lands Trusts in the area, having won the prestigious Ahu Whenua Trophy award for excellence in Dairy Farming in 2018 . The board of Onuku Maori Lands Trust is chaired by Barnett Vercoe, with fellow board members, previous chair Moyra Te Ariki Bramley (who has been on the board since it started in the 1980’s), Tina Ngatai, Maramena Vercoe, Les Stowell and Ken Raureti .

As a progressive governance board, the Trust and its management team, which includes Agfirst, spent time getting to know the sheep milking industry before committing physically and financially . At the same time, it was experimenting with and implemented a breeding programme to build its own Foundation Flock of East Friesians milking ewes . Attending some of the NZ Sheep Milking conferences and forming strong industry contacts prior to making the decision to convert one of their four Bovine Dairy Farms to Dairy Sheep were part of an extensive due diligence process . Whilst the Trust could have made the decision to convert any part of their 900 ha drystock farm, there was interest in considering ways to reduce the long-term reliance on Bovine dairy and reduce the environmental footprint on the land . Dairy Sheep was seen as a possible solution and “ticked all the boxes” . These included identifying a way in which the Trustees saw that the profit and landcare focus could remain strong to ensure that the Trust could achieve growth to look after future generations of owners . Being a Maori land Trust, currently with over 4790 owners and numbers growing, it will never be sold . This was factored into the project decision to build with that long-term view . Instead of a retrofit to the existing older milking shed on their 130 ha No 2 bovine dairy unit, Peter Livingston and the farm committee drew up plans to include a brand new GEA 72 bail Rotary Shed with large Smart Shelters constructed to cater for lamb rearing and animal housing when needed . Given the colder Winter and early Spring weather in Rerewhakaaitu, animal housing capability does give options and also meets many of the animal welfare standards that the Trust was also endeavouring to introduce . This includes shelter and shade capability across all seasons . The Onuku Miraka Hipi farm is 112ha (106 ha effective) running nearly 1600 ewes in year two of operation and set to peak at 1800 ewes milking next season . All lambs are reared in the barns and the male lambs are transferred at weaning to the Trust’s adjoining Drystock Farm to join the pool of 15,000-16,000 lambs it finishes annually . The farm grows lucerne and summer safe forage crops such as chicory and plantain/clover to support the lactation, although the focus is largely based on a ‘grass based’ system . After extensive deliberations, the Onuku chose to purchase Zealandia sheep from and supply milk to Spring Sheep Milk Ltd . Onuku have been very happy with this partnership and the on-going support that Thomas McDonald and the Spring Sheep team have provided . The decision to hit the conversion “go” button was made in late 2019 . Early 2020 Covid related challenges hit to delay the main part of the project build through Autumn . Thankfully, after a short delay, the builders were able to carry on and although the start of lambing for year one was pushed back a fortnight, ewes were on the milking platform by late-August 2020 . The trust is exceptionally grateful to have Rudolph and Marijke Van Zuydam as farm managers, having made the move after seven years managing in the goat milking industry . They have been an integral part of the team and critical to the Onuku Miraka Hipi success so far . Onuku also employs a number of staff who whakapapa back to Ngati Rangitihi . The first year was one of a “baptism by fire”, with the trustees fully involved at ground level . This has helped them to understand the important aspects of the operation . Lots of tweaking at the end of their first season has seen huge improvement achieved in the current season with much improved milk and lamb production outcomes . The trust is excited about the results so far, which have largely supported the targets set out in the original business case proposed by Peter and the Agfirst team .

Spring Sheep confirm the supply number ready to go – Rudolph van Zuydam, Barnett Vercoe, Ken Raureti, and Thomas McDonald

Peter Livingston and Barnett Vercoe

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