86 | nzdairy Award-winning pair Richard Loader Sumit Kamboj and brother Manoj Kumar are having a whirlwind journey in their farming careers. Named 2021 NZ Share Farmers of the Year, the hard-working pair are now 50% owners, along with Richard and Chrisie Wright, in ‘Two Rivers Ltd’. Following their win, the brothers took up a new opportunity, moving south from Wairarapa to the large-scale dairy operation near nestled in the foothills of the Southern Alps, at Mt Somers, Canterbury. The move signals an opportunity to work with a different farming system and a larger team and Sumit says so far the experience has been extremely positive. “We have 2000 cows on a 530ha farm operating to a system 3 and 10 staff with us. We think it is very important that the team is well organised and supported to do their work well and that they enjoy their work. We also have very supportive farm owners who are keen to see us all succeed.” Owners, Richard and Chrisie Wright from Tamar Farms, have the attitude that, helping progress people in the dairy sector, is essential for the future health of the whole industry. “My brother and I are responsible for running the day to day operation of the entire farm, from staffing to animal health, milk production, meeting compliances and getting the very best out of the farm that we possibly can.” DAIRY PEOPLE » Two Rivers Sumit and Manoj are looking forward to a long term relationship with Richard and Chrisie. The farm has centre pivot irrigation and in winter, all of the cows graze off the farm. Maize silage and PK form the main supplements. The farm is all flat and is home to two 50-aside herringbone sheds. At peak it takes about 4 hours to milk in the morning and slightly less in the afternoon. Sumit says that with 10 staff they are still a couple short of the optimum number to ensure the roster works really well for everyone. “All our staff live on the farm. There are nine houses and we ensure that the roster gives everyone equal time away from farm duties. With that number of cows and the length of time it takes to milk, we think its really important to ensure staff have down-time.” The herd of kiwi-cross cows perform well producing between 900,000kg to 950,000kg milk solids. Sumit says he’s looking forward to seeing, with tweaks and experience on the farm behind him, just what improvements in milk volume and cost of production can be achieved. Sumit believes entering farming competitions and competing against others in the industry is a wonderful way to network and to learn. “The dairy industry awards make you really think hard about what you believe in yourself, what’s important for you in how you farm and especially it gives you the opportunity to see and learn how others approach their farming business. I would encourage anyone to give it a go.” Proudly supporting Two Rivers Ltd Follow/Like us on Facebook Your FIRST STOP for ALL your Agricultural Contracting requirements including Maize & Fodder Beet planting
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=