New Zealands top red meat genetics company, Focus Genetics is congratulating the Maori Farmer of the Year, to whom it supplies quality genetics.

Te Awahohonu Forest Trusts Tarawera Station has picked up the 80th Ahuwhenua Trophy Maori Excellence in Farming award.

Te Awahohonu Forest Trustee, Bob Cottrell says a core focus for the Trust is thinking about future generations and investing in good farming practices for the next 100 years.

"Having trust in our breeders and genetics is all part of our plan for long term sustainability. We want to build a successful platform to which our children and grandchildren can also build on."

Tarawera Station is a medium to steep hill country farm and sits along State Highway 5 on the Napier-Taupo road.

Tarawera Station Manager, Carl Read-Jones puts some of the farms success down to using superior genetics.

"It goes without saying that using good genetics has improved our production. We invested in Highlander ewes, Primera rams and Red Stabilizer bulls and we are now seeing some good results."

The farms Highlander composite flock includes 16000 ewes and 5000 replacement ewe lambs. The propertys Red Stabilizer beef herd is made up of 1000 breeding cows plus heifer replacements and finishing steers and bulls.

Mr Read-Jones says the Trust goals are to make the farm a profitable and sustainable business.

"We increased our lambing percentage considerably by changing our Romney flock to a Highlander flock. The station used to struggle to get 120% lambing when it used Romneys but now the farm docks over 140% even in the 2007 drought when we felt the pinch with grass, the Highlander ewes performed well."

See the article here:
Quality genetics proves successful for top Maori farmer

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