Farming

Farming is PKW’s major investment comprising 13 dairy farms and 2 supporting dry stock farms. PKW Farms Ltd owns land and infrastructure and contracts 50/50 sharemilkers who own livestock and plant to work the land. Milk revenue is shared on a 50/50 basis. PKW Farms Ltd is Fonterra’s largest Taranaki milk supplier.

Vital Statistics

  • Milking Platform : 2160 hectares.
  • Total Cows : approx 7000.
  • Annual Productivity : approx 2.3 million kg milk solids.
  • Herd sizes range from 150 to 900 cows.
  • Standard 60 bail rotary cowsheds with automatic cup removal capable of milking 500 cows per hour..
  • Pastoral based farming system with winter feed augmentation and no irrigation.
Jump to: Highlights History Objectives Expectations
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PKW Farms' Highlights

  • Winner Ahuwhenua Trophy for Maori Dairy Farming Excellence in 2006.
  • Achieving status as Taranaki’s largest dairy supplier to Fonterra.
  • Ongoing conversion to 6 units in excess of 500 cows.
  • Status as a respected employer in the Dairy Industry. 
  • Status as a respected contributor to environmental excellence with riparian planting in the Dairy Industry.

History

PKW Farms Ltd was established in 1998 following the passage of the Maori Reserved Land Amendment Act which gave PKW Incorporation the first right of refusal to buy perpetual leases over Incorporation land as they came up for sale.

Following the law change PKW set out to purchase control of its perpetually leased lands and undertake active dairy farming in its own right.

PKW developed a Land Management Plan which identified all PKW leases on basis of land class and identified key properties for acquisition and priority areas for amalgamation. The plan identified 14,000 hectares of the PKW leased land portfolio as suitable for dairy farming with potential productivity of between 12-14 million kilograms of milk solids. This land footprint area lies within a 45 km radius of the Fonterra Whareroa processing facility.

Objectives of PKW Farms Ltd

  • To act as a long term kaitiaki of the land while maximizing productivity and profitability for shareholder dividend.
  • To acquire key properties over time and amalgamate to grow the business and achieve greater economies of scale.
  • Use leading edge dairy management to improve financial returns.
  • Employ top class staff and be a respected and valued employer and partner with top class 50/50 sharemilkers. 
  • Provide opportunity for descendants of land to become involved in the business while developing the next generation of Taranaki Maori dairy farmers and land managers.
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Expectations of Sharemilkers

  • Achieve high productivity and low cost of production to achieve high economic farm surpluses.
  • Maintain PKW Farms Ltd properties in a well presented manner.
  • Liaise and communicate well with PKW Farms Ltd Management. 
  • Demonstrate good leadership as role models for sharemilking industry

"We are developing the next generation of Taranaki Maori dairy farmers and land managers"