The winner of the 2017 Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award is Jordan Biddle, 21, Ngati Pahauwera, who is a shepherd on Pihanui Station, south of Wairoa, owned by Ngati Pahauwera.
The announcement was made by Jamie Tuuta, Chief Executive of Te Tumu Paeroa at the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards dinner in Whangarei recently.
More than 700 guests including the Prime Minister, the Minister for Maori Development, other parliamentarians and representatives of the Maori King were in attendance.
The other two finalists in the competition were 21 year old Dylan Ruki-Fowlie, Te Atihaunui a Paparangi, who works as a general shepherd on Tawanui Station, south of Raetihi, and Hemoata Kopa, also 21, of Ngapuhi (Matawaia) who works as a general shepherd on Pukemiro Station just out of Dannevirke.
The Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award was first held in 2012 and is designed to recognise talented up-and-coming young Maori farmers. It is also intended to encourage young Maori to make farming a career choice and to showcase to prospective employers the talent pool that exists within Maori.