Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee Chairman, Kingi Smiler says it is great to have Pāmu Academy coming on board as a Bronze sponsor. Pāmu Academy is a Joint Venture between Pāmu/Landcorp and Wilsons Consulting.

He says Sir Apirana Ngata and Lord Bledisloe who inaugurated the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition in 1933 had strong and successful interests in agriculture. Kingi says Lord Bledisloe had a background in science and technology and during his time in New Zealand he gave many speeches to farmers around the country.

“Pāmu Academy is an exemplar of the type of leadership and innovation on farm and beyond that aligns with the original vision and values that of Sir Apirana Ngata and Lord Bledisloe. They would both be impressed with what Pāmu Academy is doing and feel a great sense of pride in their legacy” he says.

Kingi Smiler says he looks forward to working with Pāmu Academy to enhance the leadership performance of the New Zealand agri-sector and showcase its success to everyone in the country.

Pāmu Academy General Manager Rebecca Keoghan said the Academy sponsoring the prestigious Ahuwhenau Trophy was a no brainer for the organisation.

“We are targeting safety leadership within the industry, and the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition has a focus on farm leadership, and so the fit was natural for us. We look forward to being a part of the Ahuwhenua whānau and helping drive a focus on safety leadership in the competition.”

The finalists in the 2018 competition will be announced in February and the final awards function will be held in Christchurch on Friday 25 May 2018.