Analyst - Policy & Economics
Analyst - Policy & Economics
Hilton Collier
Ngati Porou
Managing Director & Agricultural Consultant
Hilton has spent his entire life around agriculture, having grown up near his ancestral lands in the heartland of Ngati Porou country on his whanau farm in Ruatoria. He comes from a community built on Nga Tikanga me nga Kawa – traditional tribal values and strong relationships.
After completing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Lincoln University, he moved on to different roles working for the Department of Agriculture and later became a founding member of the AgFirst network, establishing AgFirst Wairoa in the early '90s.
He naturally became involved in Māori Agribusiness, supporting farms across the Northern Hawkes Bay and East Coast areas.
He then reestablished AgFirst Wairoa as Taiao Connect Limited, a Māori Agri Consulting firm based on Taiao – the Environment, Hapori – Community, Uri Whakaheke – Future Generations.
He is involved in the Federation of Māori Authorities (FOMA), spearheading its Te Aukaha group, and is also involved in several marketing businesses including First Light Wagyu and Merino NZ. Additionally, he serves as the General Manager for Pakihiroa Farms - the farming operation arm of Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou.
