| 31 DAIRY » Lighthouse & Beacon Dairies Development improves farm productivity Richard Loader Eager to pursue their passion for farming in a beautiful country, Ruwan and Niranjala Wijayasena arrived in New Zealand from Sri Lanka in 2005, and Ruwan’s talent as a farmer and people manager was soon recognised by his employer, Synlait Farms. Both agricultural graduates, Ruwan had specialised in livestock production, while Niranjala focused in agri-business management before leaving their home country in search of greener pastures. After two years working as a farm assistant, Ruwan was given the opportunity to manage a 500 cow farm, and then two years after that the much larger Lighthouse Dairy. Located in Hororata, on the northwestern edge of the Canterbury Plains, the 275 hectare (irrigated) farm came with responsibility for 1000 cows. With continued momentum, Ruwan accepted the offer to become contract milker for that farm in 2013, taking the extra responsibility for neighbouring Beacon Dairy two years later. At 262 hectares (irrigated), Beacon milked 950 cows. In 2017 the farms were bought by Theland Group, which encompasses 29 farms across the country, 13 of which are in the South Island and known as Purata Farm Group. Over the last two years Lighthouse and Beacon Dairy Units have under gone significant development, to improve both farm productivity, efficiency and self-sufficiency, and are now known as Lighthouse A and Lighthouse B. Effectively operating as one large farming unit, the total area under spray irrigation has been increased to 600 hectares, enabling the herd to be increased to 2060 cows. “Last winter we constructed a new cow race that connects both farms and the two 50-bale sheds,’ says Ruwan. “The whole property has been completely refenced to suit the new system, with rectangular on recruiting good staff paddocks that feed into the new race. If one side of the farm gets short of grass, the cows can easily walk to the next door paddocks. We also grow about fifty hectares of fodder beet on farm and now winter all the cows on the farm. Fodder beet is also used as autumn supplement.” At 240 metres above sea level, the land is flat, stony and young country with a thin layer of top soil making the farms challenging in the summer dry contrasting with the winter’s cold cracking good frosts and a bit of snow. In addition to Ruwan, the team is made up of eight staff, and a calf rearer. “Respectfulness is a very important part of working in the team,” says Ruwan. “My role is leadership. I always try to train people in various duties, encourage them to do ITO courses, English language courses and any other courses they are interested in. “We even finance a couple of courses for junior team members.” Looking to the future, Ruwan says he and Niranjala would like to extend their farm capacity, if there is the opportunity to take on a third farm within the Purata Farm Group. “Off-farm we like to invest in the property market. “We’re thinking about investing in a holiday home in attraction areas so that the house could be used as a bach as well as an income generating property.” Farm managers Niranjala and Ruwan Wijayasena with family members significant to Mike, who acknowledges that there has been a lot of hard work put in by the preceding generations. “It’s my duty really to do my utmost. You’re just the caretaker for the land so it is setting things up to allow that generational succession.” Mike also acknowledges that the farm’s conversion to dairy from sheep and beef has changed the vibe from what might once have been farming built around a lifestyle. “You are dealing more intensively with people, there is a heck of a lot more going on, and it’s busy. But while it can be frustrating at times, we still love it. My parents have stepped right back from the farm now and we are currently working towards completing farm succession, which will enable Olivia and me, and my brother and his wife, Phil and Katrina, to form a new farming company to forge forward and eventually pass the farm on to the next generation. We are happy to have got the business where it is and having good people to do the day-to-day work for us. We have three young kids, Sophia 12, Jack 10 and Elise 8, so we want to be able to enjoy them, because at the end of the day family is number one.” Station Peak borders the Waitaki River. • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz RD2 Leeston 027 534 9161 e: chris@chrisswanson.nz CULTIVATION & EXCAVATION CONTRACTORS • Cow Track Lime Supply & Lay • All Shingle Supplies • Truck & Trailer Hire • Direct Drilling • Hedge & Stump Removal • Farm Tracks & Driveways • Fodderbeet Planting • Cultivation • Pivot Rut Filling • Grader & Digger Work • Reversible Ploughing • Supply & Installation of Irrigation Pipe
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