Ahuwhenua Trophy

Te Ao Hou, March 1969, Page 27

Ahuwhenua Trophy The Ahuwhenua Trophy, presented in 1933 by the late Lord Bledisloe, for competition among Maori farmers is contested in two sections. The winners of the 1968 competition were:— Mr J. H. Karatau (Whangaehu) — Dairy Section. Mr J. W. Steedman (Tauranga) — Sheep and Cattle Section. The standard achieved by entrants was probably the highest ever in the history of the competition but the number of entries received was disappointingly small. This is a pity, as there are many farmers who could enter the competition with confidence. Even those farmers who do not win can profit by the free advice of an independent farming advisor. Entry is open to all Maori farmers, and any who are interested should contact their nearest Maori and Island Affairs Office. Mr Steedman's win was his third victory in the competition and he is the first person to have won the trophy more than twice. He has built up an excellent stud flock and is now entering the stud cattle field. As Second place winner in the dairy section, Mr T. W. Manu of Oeo, Taranaki, with his wife National Publicity Studios photographs a tireless worker over the years he has done an outstanding job. The dairy section winner, Mr J. H. Karatau, farms a small but high producing farm at Whangaehu, just south of Wanganui. His production of 448 lbs of butterfat per acre is no mean achievement and with a herd average of 378 lbs per cow he holds the record for an Ahuwhenua Trophy entrant. Runner-up in this section was Mr T. W. Manu, a consistent place-getter from Oeo in Taranaki, while Mr T. W. Eri from Paengaroa, Bay of Plenty, was third. Mr A. McCready, M.P. for Otaki and chairman of the Parliamentary Maori Affairs Committee, when visiting the Hairini marae at Tauranga during the Committee's tour, presented the Ahuwhenua trophy to Mr J. W. Steedman of Welcome Bay. With them is Mr Steedman's mother, Mrs J. B. Congreve of Wanganui