| 15 Buddhi’s excellent management skills This year Buddhi and his wife Chamila were runners-up in the Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year and recipients of four merit awards at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Ange Davidson Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and several years farming experience in Sri Lanka, Buddhi Alankarage moved to New Zealand in 2010 to broaden his knowledge and experience in the dairy industry. This year Buddhi and his wife Chamila were runners-up in the Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year and recipients of four merit awards at the New Zealand Dairy Industry annual awards, an acknowledgement of the couple’s expertise and leadership in animal health, pasture management and staff leadership. Buddhi and Chamila have completed their first season contract milking for Zoetermeer Agriculture Ltd, owned by Greg McCullough and Jose Franco, on their 153ha property in Waitike Valley near Rotorua. As contract milkers, Buddhi and Chamila provide their own staff and employ two full time workers plus a relief milker for the 520-cow herd. The farm has a 36 a side Herringbone milking shed and Buddhi share the costs on farm with Greg. Buddhi’s excellent staff management was recognised at the NZ Dairy Industry awards with the People and Culture award and Federated Farmer’s Leadership award. “It’s good to know you are appreciated, and it’s also good to know that our work is producing results that matter,” says Buddhi. “I train my staff and look after them well, and make sure everyone gets long breaks over the weekend. When they are happy, they enjoy their work. I want to help them become contract milkers, that’s my target. They can learn from me and start their own businesses. I encourage and engage all the staff to learn AGITO and help them with this,” he says. The couple were also awarded the Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award and Ravensdown Sustainable “It’s good to know you are appreciated, and it’s also good to know that our work is producing results that matter.” RURAL PEOPLE » Greg McCullough and Buddhiya Alankarage Pasture Award in acknowledgement of his effective farm management, improved pasture and animal health. Animal science was Buddhi’s specialisation during his four-year bachelor degree at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and he is currently studying for a Post Graduate Diploma in Food Safety through Massey University. Buddhi’s first job in New Zealand was on a 1100-cow dairy farm in Horarata where he had the opportunity to learn everything afresh from milking, pasture management, animal health to calf rearing. “Everything was totally different and I basically had to start again. In Sri Lanka we have small herds from 10 to 30 cows and employ a cut and feed system whereas New Zealand is well set up for pasture based dairy farming. In Sri Lanka, there are few cows and many staff, and New Zealand has the opposite with large herds and few staff,” he observes. Chamila, a pre-school teacher, and their young family joined Buddhi in 2012 and they moved to the North Island four years later to manage a 700 cows dairy farm in Okato. They decided to take the next step into contract milking and were offered an opportunity in Whitianga before moving to their present position in Waitike Valley. Farm owner, Greg McCullough says Buddhi has made significant improvements to the farm in the past season and has taken the dairy farm to the next level. “We’re really pleased in how Buddhi’s advanced the farm. He’s lifted the farm’s production and the quality of that production is first rate,” he says. 021 148 0322 | bluffcountry.co.nz | karl@bluffcountry.co.nz like us on Ph: Proud to work with Greg McCullough & Buddhiya Alankarage Agricultural contractors servicing the greater Rotorua region
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