44 | Ibraam big on staff and animal welfare At 27, Ibraam left Egypt in 2006 where he had, had a chicken farm which was sadly wiped out by avian influenza. Emma Bailey Taking care of staff and animal welfare and education are the key focuses for success for Southland dairy farmer Ibraam Saad. This is the Saad family’s fourth season at Sandal Farm where they are 50/50 share milking 420 cows on the 142 hectare property, working toward buying their own property. They are based at Peter Sanford’s farm in Springhills, 15 minutes away from Winton. At 27, Ibraam left Egypt in 2006 where he had, had a chicken farm which was sadly wiped out by avian influenza. Armed with a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Science from Cairo University he came to New Zealand ready to become a dairy farmer and got his start in Oamaru as a dairy farm assistant. He went home in 2009 and got engaged to his now wife Reneh and a year later they married. That year she joined him in New Zealand. “She moved here for me and I am so grateful. Now we have two children, Mark (14) and Patrick (13). They love the farm life.” A typical day for Ibraam sees him leave home at 4.30am and then finish before 5pm. They have two full time staff members. “I like everyone to go home for an hour for breakfast and then two hours for lunch so everyone gets a good break. “In the weekend we just do the milkings. The workers work 45 hours a week maximum. It is really important to look after your staff; I couldn’t run the business without them.” Animal welfare is also a key focus. “The first thing is making sure the cows are fed well. We don’t put the animals under stress and make sure they have good shelter. If it’s a hot day we hose the cows down so they can keep cool. Any signs of sickness we get the vet in straight away.” In the winter they use portable troughs so they can keep the cows on the higher parts of the property away from any mud. The farm has lots of shelter belts. Education is also a strong focus for Ibraam. “I found when I came here that farmers were doing what the farmers before them had done. For me, because of my study, I want to understand the theory that is behind something and then I can put a plan in place that works the best.” So far this season things are shaping up well they are 12 per cent ahead this year with feed and DAIRY PEOPLE » Sandle 2 Chris 027 293 9800 (Waimata Depot) Norman 027 611 9595 (Browns Depot) office@hughescontracting.co.nz • Silage • Round Baling • Cultivation • Precision Planting • Effluent Spreading • Excavation • General Cartage the cows are averaging 500 kg M/S, which is good for Southland While New Zealand is now home he does miss Egypt, especially in the winter. “We try and get away to the Pacific Islands or Australia. “I love everything about being a dairy farmer - I love every part of the job, if I didn’t I wouldn’t still be doing it.” That’s not to say there aren’t challenges. “I couldn’t have got through this without the support of my wife. She came here with no family and then had two young children at home 13 months apart. She manages all the admin and business side of the farm and if I need a hand on the farm she helps too.”
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