Strategic Priority 6 - Thrive through partnerships and collaboration

Objective

Partnerships are organised, deliberate and formalised.

Why this is a priority

Working with the right partners will generate the best value possible from every resource we invest.

Strong, long-term relationships will help us to achieve our aspirations.

We partner and collaborate with organisations who share similar charitable and commercial goals and values.

Our expertise and assets combined with those of our valued partners will help us stay resilient even when times are tough.

Key highlights

Commercial partnerships

An important commercial partnership was sealed with mānuka honey brand Manukora, securing a long-term honey supply agreement that was developed over several years. The partnership is mutually beneficial and will support increased efficiency on both sides.

Signed in September last year, we are already seeing the advantages of this significant agreement. The deal with Manukora Limited links pricing through the value chain and gives Ātihau an idea of how much we will sell before we produce the honey.

For example, we knew in September 2023 how much honey we would sell in this financial year, and in addition had an indication of the cash sales from April 2024 to March 2025.

This allows our beekeeping business to plan and harvest appropriately, and line up other buyers for any surplus inventory.

When previous beekeeper partner Oha Honey left beekeeping, we were able to establish new agreements with beekeepers Mānuka Health New Zealand Limited and Smoking Joe NZ Limited, thanks to developing good relationships with these partners over the last few years. They now have their hives on Ātihau blocks.

Shared Procurement

In procurement, combining our buying power with other Māori agribusinesses to leverage favourable pricing makes good sense. Our contracts were retendered and renegotiated across four major categories: cropping and agrichemicals, animal health, general farm merchandise, capital water and fencing materials. Working with Awhina Group, procurement savings of about $50,000 per annum were achieved across animal health costs, for example.

A new fertiliser procurement deal through Awhina Group will also benefit Ātihau significantly as well as our Māori agribusiness partners. The deal entails paying a subscription fee but that cost is more than outweighed by the power of buying collectively. For example, we buy 3000 tonnes of fertiliser but the price we pay is based on 10,000 tonnes sold to the collective.

Organisational Reviews

An independent organisational review was completed with the support of EY Tahi to understand how Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation and Te Āti Hau Trust can more efficiently implement the strategy of the Group.

The review resulted in 47 recommendations on how to ensure the right people, structures and processes are in place to efficiently implement our strategic intentions. They focus on achieving greater value, generating efficiencies while maintaining our level of service. Some recommendations will be implemented swiftly and others will take more time.

External Reporting Board

During the year the Ati Hau Group participated in the ‘Ngā pou o te kawa ora’ project being undertaken by the External Reporting Board.

Ngā pou o te kawa ora refers to the pillars that embody the principles of life. It is a significant project which has established He Tauira, a voluntary, non-financial reporting framework from an Aotearoa New Zealand perspective.

By implementing He Tauira, we aim to capture our broader impact and value beyond monetary aspects, with the ultimate goal of uplifting the well-being of future generations of uri.