Wairarapa Moana

What Wairarapa Moana does

Wairarapa Moana Incorporation is a privately held, inter-generational Māori business entity formed in July 2002 through the amalgamation of the Pouakani II Trust and the Mangakino Township Incorporation, representing approximately 3,000 shareholders who are descendants of the original owners of Wairarapa Moana. It is governed by a five-member Committee of Management headed by Chairman Kingi Winiata Smiler, with Group General Manager Anaru Smiler overseeing day-to-day operations since 2020. The Incorporation operates alongside the separate Wairarapa Moana Trust, which delivers education, cultural development, and marae-support services to whānau.

The commercial core sits in dairy farming across 10,695 hectares of whenua (land) at Pouākani in the Taupō region, organised under the wholly owned WM Farms subsidiary and comprising four dairy farms, of which WMI Farm 4 consistently benchmarks in the top 10% of dairy farms in the region and won the Ahuwhenua Trophy for top Māori dairy farm in 2024. The Incorporation also holds a minority interest in Miraka, a Māori-owned, geothermally powered, B-Corp certified milk processing company that produces low-carbon A2 milk products for export to China. A secondary, much smaller revenue stream is direct-to-consumer e-commerce for branded apparel and a co-published book on the Wairarapa Moana lakes, shipped within New Zealand only. Customer segments are the Māori shareholder/descendant base (governance and education) and the New Zealand general public (merchandise and cultural content).

Name

Wairarapa Moana

Legal name

Wairarapa Moana Inc

Website

https://wairarapamoana.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wairarapa Moana Incorporation manages dairy farming across 10,695 hectares at Pouākani for ~3,000 Māori shareholders, with interests extending from farmgate to global markets via its Miraka processing stake.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Farming

NAICS

Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Milk Production (Raw Milk) (AFAEACAA)

Keywords

• Dairy farming operations
• Māori agribusiness
• Milk processing investment
• Whenua management
• Branded merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Masterton

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Dairy Farming Operations: Revenue from dairy farming operations across multiple farms, with WMI Farm 4 being a top-performing dairy farm recognized nationally. The farms operate in the Taupō region on Pouākani lands.
2. Milk Processing Investment: Investment in Miraka, a Māori-owned milk processing company that is the first geothermally powered milk processing plant in the world, achieving B-corp certification and producing low-carbon A2 milk products for export to China.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel (polo shirts, t-shirts, vests, caps, beanies) and books about Wairarapa Moana through e-commerce platform.
4. Publishing: Sale of 'Wairarapa Moana: The Lake and Its People' book published with Wairarapa Archive and Fraser Books.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wairarapa Moana Incorporation operates dairy farming across multiple farms in the Taupō region on Pouākani lands, with milk processed through its investment in Miraka, a Māori-owned milk processing company. The company operates as an inter-generational Māori business for its approximately 3,000 shareholders and descendants, and also retails branded merchandise (apparel and a published book) and provides cultural and education services.

Product overview

Wairarapa Moana is a Māori business organization comprising two main entities: Wairarapa Moana Incorporation (the business arm focused on dairy farming and commercial operations) and Wairarapa Moana Trust (the services arm focused on education and cultural development). The Incorporation operates WM Farms dairy operations, holds an investment in Miraka milk processing company, and maintains a share registry for shareholders. The organization also operates a retail shop selling branded merchandise including apparel (polo shirts, t-shirts, vests) and a published book about the region's history. The portfolio extends from farmgate operations to global markets through its Miraka partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WM Farms dairy operations Core dairy farming operations across four farms in the Taupō region on Pouākani lands, including the award-winning WMI Farm 4 which is consistently ranked in the top 10% of benchmarked Taupō dairy farms. Provides milk for processing through Miraka.
• Miraka milk processing investment Minority equity interest in Miraka, a Māori-owned milk processing company that operates the world's first geothermally powered milk processing plant and is B-corp certified. Miraka produces low-carbon A2 milk products for export to China.
• Share Registry services Shareholder registry management services for approximately 3,000 Wairarapa Moana shareholders and descendants of the original owners of Wairarapa Moana.
• Education and cultural development services Services focused on developing rangatahi (future leaders) and supporting whānau to be strong and confident in their culture, heritage and identity as descendants of Wairarapa Moana.
• Moana Mailer quarterly newsletter Quarterly newsletter providing updates on business activities, events, and matters of interest to shareholders and whānau.
• Wairarapa Moana branded apparel (polo shirts, t-shirts, vests, caps, beanies) Branded apparel range including UPF-rated quick-dry polo shirts, BIZ Cool™ micro polyester t-shirts, 100% acrylic beanies, heavy brushed cotton caps, 100% cotton polo shirts, denim-style and limited-edition charcoal t-shirts, and a showerproof nylon vest with anti-pill microfleece lining. Sold to New Zealand consumers through the online storefront.
• Wairarapa Moana: The Lake and Its People (book) 317-page book telling the story of the North Island's third largest lake complex from Māori myths to modern environmental issues, priced at $30 NZD. Sold to New Zealand consumers through the online storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• WMI Farm 4 consistently placed in top 10% of benchmarked dairy farms in Taupō region
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Whakatohea Māori Trust BoardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wairarapa Moana shared the Ahuwhenua Trophy finalist experience with Whakatohea Māori Trust Board in 2024, both finalists in the prestigious competition.
• MirakacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiraka is a Māori-owned milk processing company in which Wairarapa Moana has interests. Miraka is the first geothermally powered milk processing plant in the world and has achieved B-corp certification. They produce low-carbon A2 milk products for export to China, signed during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's NZ visit.
• Carter Holt Harvey Forestry GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership arrangement for forestry development on Pouākani lands. Approximately 6,500 hectares of scrub and bush was leased for 3 rotations of forestry plantings, managed by Mangakino Township Incorporation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Parininihi ki Waitotara: Large Taranaki-based Māori dairy farming incorporation with substantial land holdings and dairy operations. Provides the most direct structural comparison to WMI's Māori agribusiness model and inter-generational shareholder structure.
• Miraka: Māori-owned dairy processing company in which WMI holds a minority interest. Both are Māori-owned businesses in the NZ dairy value chain with shared cultural mission and aligned low-carbon geothermal positioning.
• Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation: Māori farming incorporation operating sheep, beef, and dairy assets with a similar inter-generational shareholder model. Comparable in mission, scale, and asset mix to WMI's farm operations.

Emerging players

• Open Country Dairy: NZ's second-largest dairy processor, owned by Talleys Group. Operates in the same milk procurement geography and competes for farmer supply in the central North Island region.
• Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company: Specialty NZ dairy co-operative focused on value-added ingredients and bespoke processing. Comparable as a farmer-owned dairy business that prioritizes differentiated returns over commodity volume.
• Synlait Milk: NZX-listed NZ dairy processor focused on infant formula, A2 milk, and premium ingredients. Comparable in A2 and low-carbon positioning to the Miraka partnership that WMI supplies.

Broad incumbents

• Ngāi Tahu Holdings: Largest South Island iwi corporation with diversified agribusiness holdings including dairy and pastoral farming. Comparable as a large Māori-owned enterprise with intergenerational shareholder obligations and commercial scale.
• Pāmu Farms of New Zealand (Landcorp): State-owned enterprise operating one of NZ's largest pastoral farming portfolios, including dairy. Comparable in scale, asset base, and operational benchmarking to WMI's Pouākani operations.
• Fonterra: New Zealand's dominant dairy cooperative, controlling the majority of NZ milk processing and export. Represents the incumbent baseline against which differentiated Māori processors like Miraka and WMI's supply chain compete.

Others

• Whakatohea Māori Trust Board: Māori trust board that co-finaled with WMI in the 2024 Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, with dairy and broader agribusiness interests. Relevant as a peer Māori agribusiness organization with comparable recognition profile and shareholder structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WairarapaMoanaInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wairarapa-moana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wairarapa Moana