New data released by Stats New Zealand suggests Māori authorities are doing well, with sales in the arch quarter showing growth of almost five per cent.
The $40 million increase took the total value of sales to $906 million, which includes exports worth $186 million, about 35 per cent of this to China.
One Māori-owned dairy company, Miraka, has a growing demand for its products and is now looking for new suppliers to help meet that demand.
Miraka chief executive Karl Gradon said that even though it is a small business it’s the values that have allowed it to be so successful in its development in the market.
“We value kaitiakitanga above all else and at the global consumer face everyone is catching up and understanding the value of kaitiakitanga.”
Gradon said that the drier used at Miraka has a 92% lower carbon footprint than any other drier that uses coal for power.
'Another 40 suppliers'
Gradon said that Miraka incentivises its farmers with a 20-cent extra on the milk price, with the proviso that the farmer prioritises animal health, training people on the farm and the environmental standards of the farm, including the nitrate levels they allow to go into the environment and the waterways.
“Really it’s about guardianship, setting up these farmers for future success,” he said.
Now Miraka is looking for another 40 suppliers.
Gradon said Miraka's mission was to try to align everyone from the farmer to the customer to have those kaitiakitanga values.
As a Māori-owned business, it was looking for partners and suppliers that align with its values, Gradon said.
'Supplying us directly as Māori'
“When we look at the farming community it’s very easy to find Māori communities out there that are lifting the game and leading the world, not just New Zealand but the world in farming practices.
“The majority of our farms today have Māori staff and have Māori ownership. We are very fortunate with our shareholder base, with most of the shareholders supplying us directly as Māori entities themselves.”