Events and awards sponsored by MPI
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) sponsors a range of community events, conferences, and awards.
Select an event or award for more details
Entries for the 2021 Ahuwhenua Trophy Dairy Competition are now open.
In 2021 the Ahuwhenua Trophy will focus on dairy. Entries are now open, and will close on 27 November 2020.
MPI is proud to support the Ahuwhenua Trophy. The awards acknowledge and celebrate Māori excellence in farming and the significant role Māori play in New Zealand's primary industries.
The competition is held annually, with the focus of each year's competition changing between horticulture, dairy, and sheep and beef.
Find out more
National Māori Engagement Programme.
MPI is a proud sponsor of Whenua Ora - National Māori Engagement Programme, a national programme to support and encourage young Māori to enter the primary industries.
The programme was developed by Whenua Kura – a trust that aims to grow the next generation of Māori leaders in the primary sector. Whenua Kura works with iwi, tertiary education providers, employers and government agencies to support Māori through education and career development. MPI sponsorship allows the programme to extend to more regions and to focus on primary industries that are relevant to each region.
20 November 2020, Rotorua.
The winner of the inaugural Ahuwhenua Trophy Excellence in Māori Horticulture Award 2020 is Te Kaha 15B Hineora Orchard. Hineora Orchard is a Māori freehold land block in the Eastern Bay of Plenty township of Te Kaha. The award was presented by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy.
The two other finalists were:
- Otama Marere Trust, which grows green, SunGold, and organic kiwifruit as well as avocados in Paengaroa
- Ngāi Tukairangi Trust, which is large kiwifruit operation with one of its orchards based at Matapihi, near Tauranga.
MPI is proud to support the Ahuwhenua Trophy. The awards acknowledge and celebrate Māori excellence in farming and the significant role Māori play in New Zealand's primary industries.
The competition is held annually, with the focus of each year's competition changing between horticulture, dairy, and sheep and beef.
Find out more
4 November 2020, Auckland.
The New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association Supreme Champion award was given to Much Moore's "Awesome Vanilla Ice Cream", and the Formula Food's Supreme Boutique Champion award went to Lewis Road Creamery's "Double Mint and Dark Chocolate".
New Zealand Food Safety (a business unit of MPI) was a sponsor of the 2020 New Zealand Ice Cream Awards. Now in its twenty-third year, the awards were hosted by the New Zealand Ice Cream Manufacturers Association.
Find out more
16 October 2020, Wellington.
The Ministry for Primary Industries sponsored the 2020 Rongo Award for Excellence in Agricultural Journalism. The Rongo Award is the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators’ supreme award, which recognizes excellence in agricultural journalism.
As well as this, the Ko Tātou This Is Us biosecurity engagement programme sponsored the Ko Tātou This Is Us Biosecurity Journalism Award.
The awards were presented in Wellington on 16 October.
Find out who won – NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators
18 June 2020, Bay of Islands.
Richard and Nadine McCullough of Karapiro in Waikato won the Supreme Dairy Business award for 2020.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is pleased to be a gold partner of the 2020 Dairy Business of the Year competition. This annual competition provides farmers with the opportunity to undertake a high-level analysis of the performance indicators that drive their business's profitability, resilience, and sustainability, and benchmark themselves against other farmers. As well as the opportunity to win prizes, they can network with other leading dairy farmers.
Find out more
Now cancelled.
Te Uru Rākau (a business unit of MPI) was going to be a sponsor of the 2020 Southern Wood Council Forestry Awards. The awards celebrate training and business success in the lower South Island’s forestry industry. Nine major awards were to be presented, along with national training certificates.
Find out more
Now cancelled.
New Zealand Food Safety (a business unit of MPI) was going to be a sponsor of the 20th World Congress of Food Science and Technology. The congress was to be held by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) in collaboration with the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST).
This biennial world congress is the peak global meeting for food science and technology, and typically has around 1,500 delegates from across the globe. IUFoST attracts food scientists, food technologists, new product development innovators, engineers, academic researchers, regulatory advisors and food safety experts from industry, academia and government.
This event has been cancelled. The next IUFoST World Congress will be held in 2022 in Singapore.
Find out more
Who to contact
If you have questions about MPI sponsorships, email info@mpi.govt.nz
Looking for events and awards run by MPI?
MPI often runs its own seminars and events related to the primary industries. We also support scholarships and awards. Details of these are on other web pages.