20 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Greg McCullough and Buddhiya Alankarage Taking another step up the dairy ladder Richard Loader Buddhi and Chamila Alankarage are about to take another step up the dairy ladder at their next contract milking position on a 750 cow farm in Te Awamutu. “We look forward to helping that farm achieve its potential as well,” says Buddhi. The couple have proved their talent for dairy farming on their present contract milking job at a 153-hectare Zoetermeer Agriculture Ltd farm near Rotorua where they are just completing their third season and have seen production rise from 197,000 to 230,000 kilograms of milk solids. Buddhi says their success has been based on focusing on drainage improvements, pasture utilisation and feed management. They have reduced supplementary feed requirements from 90 tonnes of palm kernel expeller (PKE) to just 36 tonnes in the first three months of the season. “One third of the farm had problems with drainage so cleaning drains along with re-grassing has helped to us to grow more grass. This has meant we have been able to drop the amount of PKE used in the in-shed feeding system,” explains Buddhi. He has been aiming for a body condition score of five when the cows come back to the farm after grazing by focus on fully feeding the cows good quality feed at all times with an emphasis on grass. This has also had a flow on effect to not only production but also the empty rates, which sits at 11.9%, the best rate the farm has ever experienced says Buddhi. “Previously the empty rate was 20%. We have lowered this with limited use of CIDRs but more with proper feeding and a focus on mating.” The couple’s success is a family affair. Buddhi came to New Zealand from Sri Lanka armed with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and years of international experience but had to virtually re-learn what he knew due to the different dairy system over this side of the world. He places a big focus on people to help the farms he works on achieve the best production they can. His leadership and team management skills garnered recognition in the 2023 and 2024 NZ Dairy Industry Awards, where he secured multiple merit awards including the DairyNZ People and Culture Award and the Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award. “I train my staff and look after them well, and make sure everyone gets long breaks over the weekend,” explains Buddhi who says he also has a commitment to helping staff pursue contract milking opportunities and supporting their Primary ITO qualifications. “They work hard and have incredible commitment. Their expertise in picking up animal health issues quickly means cows can be treated quickly and back into the herd and milking. This also assist production.” Buddhi’s appointment to the Taupo-Rotorua Federated Farmers committee further emphasises his commitment to the agricultural community. “I love developing my leadership skills and giving back to the region,” he says. Buddhi attended the Primary Industry Summit last year and found it a good opportunity for networking. “I even took a selfie with the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and had the chance to talk to him,” he says. The couple’s success is a family affair. Chamila, who works as a preschool teacher in Papamoa, lives in Tauranga during the week with their children, Senuka, 16, and Seneli, 10. They all pitch in during weekends and holidays. 021 148 0322 | bluffcountry.co.nz | karl@bluffcountry.co.nz like us on Ph: Proud to Support Greg McCullough and Buddhi Alankarage Agricultural contractors servicing the greater Rotorua region “Our plan is to be sharemilkers then work towards farm ownership,” explains Buddhi. “The new farm we will contract milk on - a system three to four - presents an exciting challenge, with an initial target of 300,000 kilograms of milk solids but I’m sure we can do more than that.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=