We've made history tonight'

In an historical first, the holders of the Ahuwhenua Trophy for dairy farming have also taken away the prestigious Maori Excellence in Farming Award 2011.
Taupo's Waipapa 9 Trust has been announced as winner of the prestigious title for its outstanding beef and sheep operation.
The Maori farming trust received the Ahuwhenua Trophy at a special dinner function at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre recently.
Trust chairman Dawson Haa accepted the award on behalf of staff, the board and shareholders. He said their success could be attributed to a great team and good governance.
"I hope our historic win encourages other Maori farmers to make the most of their land and to know that with a great team, hard work and a commitment to improving the land for future generations, excellence in farming is within their grasp," he said.
The Waipapa 9 Trust administers 6537ha of land northwest of Taupo - a mix of ancestral lands and land purchased between 1997 and 2009.
The original development had three sheep and cattle stations (Waipapa, Otanepae and Takapau). These were administered and managed for the trust by the Lands and Survey Department until 1989 when the trust took back the land and full responsibility for operating the business.
It now also has an award-winning dairy farming enterprise.
Chairman of the Ahuwhenua competition, Kingi Smiler, described the trust as an economic force to be reckoned with.
"We've made history here tonight. Waipapa's extraordinary success is indicative of the strength, and systematic growth, of the Maori agribusiness sector," he said.
The trust's overall goal is to grow the business in a sustainable way, maximising returns through better use of land, increased productivity and innovation.
It also strives for minimal impact on the environment through increased awareness, strategic investment and sustainable management practices.
This ongoing development focuses on maximising the performance of the newly amalgamated sheep and beef units, and the dairy units, in the most cost-effective manner. The trust has 1208 shareholders representing seven hapu of Ngati Tuwharetoa and Ngati Raukawa descent.
The judges said they were impressed with the trust's operational strategies and policies and an implementation plan that was being executed with precision and passion.
Enhanced by consistently good gross farm income, the trust reached well above an average farm surplus of $345 a hectare, said the judges.
Lambing at 125 per cent was also above average and very significant for a farm with more than 6000 ewes, the judges stated during the award dinner. The trust had a knowledgeable and experienced farm manager with a tight and capable professional team backing the work, said the judges. The Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, which was established in 1932 by Sir Apirana Ngata, is known for its rigorous judging criteria and the high level of scrutiny applied by judges to each competing property.
The competition recognises excellence in farming and sets the benchmark for the industry.
It was relaunched in 2003 to take account of the changing face of Maori farming and the increasing contribution that Maori agribusiness is making to the economy. Each year it alternates between beef and sheep farms and dairy farms, with beef and sheep farmers competing this year.
Maori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples presented the trust with a replica trophy while BNZ head of Agribusiness, Richard Bowman, presented a gold medal.
Dr Sharples said the competition was a huge incentive for Maori farmers to use the best scientific information and the best management structures to maximise returns to their shareholders.
The winners were blazing a trail for other Maori asset managers to follow, he said.
"It's not just their own shareholders who benefit - their success is good for Maori, and good for the New Zealand economy as a whole, said Dr Sharples.
Along with the trophy and medal, the trust receives up to $40,000 in cash, services and farm products.