34 | Expanded irrigation enables more stock The couple are carving out their own unique path in New Zealand’s dairy industry. Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Lighthouse A and Lighthouse B Investment in comprehensive irrigation infrastructure has enabled a Canterbury contract milking operation to winter on farm and increase stock numbers. Operating from Hororata, Ruwan Wijayasena and his wife Niranjal Gamlath manage two contract milking jobs for the Theland Farm Group, overseeing 2,200 cows across 600 hectares milked through two dairy sheds. “The decision was made to fully irrigate the property several years ago and now a combination of centre pivots, K-lines and long lines ensure comprehensive water coverage across the operation,” explains Ruwan. “WaterForce, one of the preferred suppliers for the Theland Farm Group, installed some of the pivots and provide ongoing service and maintenance.” Ruwan says the ability to maintain consistent pasture growth year-round has been a game changer for the operation. Their cows now produce around 400 kilograms of milk solids each season, with this season’s target set at 817,000 kilograms of milk solids across both farms. The couple are carving out their own unique path in New Zealand’s dairy industry through contract milking and property investment, demonstrating that traditional farm ownership isn’t the only route to success. Their approach stems from their Buddhist faith. As practising Buddhists, Ruwan and Niranjal do not want to own cows and make decisions to kill them, leading them to focus on contract milking rather than farm ownership. Both hail from Sri Lanka, where they met at university. Ruwan holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences from Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, majoring in livestock production, whilst Niranjal’s studies specialised in agribusiness management, making their skills extremely complementary. Political unrest in Sri Lanka prompted them to look offshore. Ruwan arrived in New Zealand in 2005, starting as a farm assistant on a property owned by Synlait, now the Theland Farm Group. Niranjal joined him a year later. After two years, a management opportunity arose on a 500-cow farm, and two years after that, they moved to the 300-hectare property at Hororata. Ruwan managed it for three years before transitioning to contract milking, and in 2016, they took on the neighbouring 300-hectare farm as well. Their company, DDSM Farms Limited, was recently recognised as the best business performance farm across the entire Theland Farm Group. “It’s a great achievement to be recognised out of the large number of farms in the group,” says Ruwan. The couple have already begun building their property portfolio beyond the farm. They have a rental property in Queenstown and a four-hectare lifestyle block in Tai Tapu on the outskirts of Christchurch, where Niranjal is based with their children, Senuli, 15, and Methuli, 13. “We like investing in holiday homes,” says Ruwan, who divides his time between the Tai Tapu home and accommodation on the contract milking jobs. “The Queenstown house will be the first of what we hope will be many in various parts of New Zealand.” The couple acknowledge the industry faces significant challenges. Rising costs of living and labour expenses are putting pressure on operations. “There is no simple solution but we try and operate as cost effectively as we can, do more things ourselves,” explains Ruwan. Finding quality staff remains another hurdle. “Farming is not easy - the hours, starting and finishing times, seasonal challenges,” says Ruwan. “We have to find ways to keep people in the industry. While we have good long-term staff and tend to retain people, when someone does leave, it’s always a challenge finding the right person. We basically need to find fresh people from New Zealand and train them to our standards.” FERTILISER SPREADING | FARM MAPPING GPS TRACKING | VARIABLE RATE SPREADING LIVESTOCK CARTAGE | DAILY FREIGHT CONCRETE SUPPLIES | GRAIN CARTAGE SHINGLE SUPPLIES | FERTILISER SUPPLIES Leeston: 03 3248 070 | Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz Agricultural Contractors based in Methven Contact us today: Managing Director - Patrick: 027 297 2726 Operation Manager - Adam: 027 223 7309 office.naglecontracting@gmail.com 734 East Street, Ashburton 03-308-7982 www.ashburtonyamaha.co.nz Our services are: Sales,Tyres, WOF, Service and On Farm Servicing Proud to support Lighthouse A & Lighthouse B The couple, who won the Share Farmer of the Year title in the 2019 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards, remain committed to sustainable farming, looking after people, pasture, cows and environment. Their Tai Tapu property, featuring over 10,000 native plants, has become a nature sanctuary. “It’s where we live and bring up the kids. We love that environment and it’s really close to Christchurch,” says Ruwan. “We can basically have a holiday at home.”
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