34 | Cow numbers and production reach new heights Under the careful kaitiakitanga of Chaminda ‘Chum’ Wijesooriya, Woodleigh Farm Trust is going from strength to strength Anne Boswell Masterton’s Woodleigh Farm Trust is going from strength to strength under the careful kaitiakitanga of Chaminda ‘Chum’ Wijesooriya. Approaching the end of his third season contract milking for Cameron, Duncan and Andrea Stuart, Chum’s management has seen both cow numbers and production reach new heights – and further extension of the farm’s irrigation is set to lift the ceiling on what’s possible yet again. Chum’s dairy farming journey has been built on hard work and opportunity. He grew up in Sri Lanka, where he helped his grandfather run the family farm of eight cows. He moved to New Zealand in 2013 and worked his way up the dairy farming ladder, moving to his current contract milking role in the 2022/23 season. He and wife Thilanka have two daughters. The 2022/23 season marked a record-breaking year for the Woodleigh herd under Chum’s leadership. With 650 cows, the herd delivered an impressive 300,000kgMS - nearly 30,000kgMS more than their previous best. Building on that success, the team expanded the herd by 50 cows in the 2023/24 season. This growth, combined with Chum’s strategic management, pushed production to 320,000kgMS - exceeding their target by 6%. With the farm operating at peak efficiency and performance, the Woodleigh team decided to invest further. This season they increased the herd size to 750 cows, and have set their sights on producing 350,000kgMS - a 14% jump from the previous two seasons. To support this expansion an additional 50 hectares was leased, bringing the total milking platform to 250 hectares. A major irrigation upgrade followed, with 60% of the farm now covered by pivot irrigation, ensuring ample feed for the growing herd and sustaining future production gains. “The farm was running two pivot irrigation with water consent,” Chum says. “Then we got another brand new pivot last season to cover nearly 80ha. We got water for this pivot from the run-off. Bay Irrigation has done a massive job for us.” Ordish and Stevens supplied and installed an additional 13ha of K Line irrigation in February 2025 for the farm. Specialists in rural infrastructure RURAL PEOPLE » Wijesooriya and Stuart design and supply, Ordish and Stevens is Wairarapa’s first choice for irrigation, water reticulation and milking systems, representing leading brands and innovative technology. With three long term permanent staff members to support him – and a fantastic 9% empty rate and 74% 6-week in calf rate - Chum has set himself another goal: to see the entire herd surpass the national average for BW/PW. “We are striving to reach this goal by using sexed semen on the highest BW/PW cows and keeping more replacements with higher genetic merit,” Chum says. “We are close to the national BW/PW average now, but I am sure after this season we will reach more than 95% high genetic cows.” And to further support cow condition – and thus Proudly supporting Wijesooriya and Stuart ORDISH & STEVENS Services · Driveways · Septic tanks · Farm excavations - drainage, tracks, metaling · House sites · Metal/Lime cartage · Drainage And More.... EXPERIENCED EARTHMOVING AND CARTAGE OPERATOR Contact us, We can handle any job large or small production – all light cows join the heifers on a 10-milkings-per-week schedule, as opposed to the standard 14 per week, after calving. “This will help them keep condition,” Chum says. “Although the heifers are producing well, we want to support their frames while they are small.”
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