NZ Dairy Winter 2021

18 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Tasman Dairy Organics: Mahraaz Hussein From welding to web Virginia Wright F: (06) 324 8427 • E: info@farmsupplies.co.nz • W: www.farmsupplies.co.nz IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH INNOVATIVE DESIGN & ANYTIME SERVICE • All Brands of Pumps for All Purposes • Irrigation Systems • Bore Pumps • Water Purification • Tasman Tanks • Farm Effluent Systems • All Brands of Dairy Equipment • Reporoa Backing Gates • Water Meters • Farm Merchandise Phone (06) 324 8426 RONGOTEA Milka-Ware Total Dairy Systems IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH INNOVATIVE DESIGN & ANYTIME SERVICE Phone: (06) 324 8426 Fax: (06) 324 8427 • E: info@farmsupplies.co .nz • w w.farmsupplies.co.nz Pumps for All Purposes • Irrigation Systems • Bore Pumps • Water Purification • Water Meters Farm Effluent Systems • Dairy Equipment • Reporoa Backing Gates • Tasman Tanks RONGOTEA GEA FarmTechnologies TEAT SPRAYING TECHNOLOGY AN COMPANY EXCELLENCE IN DAIRYING EFFLUENT PUMPS & SYSTEMS TEAT SPRAYING TECHNOLOGY AN COMPANY EXCELLENCE IN DAIRYING M ahraaz Hussein came to New Zealand from Fiji in 2015 and started dairy farming more or less by accident, thanks to a friend who told him there were opportunitiesto be had. In October that year he started as a Dairy Assis- tant with Pamu’s Waimakiriri Dairy Unit in Canter- bury. Over the following years he progressed up the ladder to become 2IC/Dairy Production Manager until in 2019/2020 Season there was an oppor- tunity to apply for the role of Manager on Tasman Dairy Organics, one of the seven farms making up Pamu’s Moutoa Complex. Situated between Levin and Palmerston North it, like all their other farms on the complex, is named for one of New Zealand’s mountains. When he took up his first position as Dairy Assis- tant Mahraaz knew nothing about dairy farming. “At home I was a trade welder, but in Fiji you have to be a jack-of-all-trades to keep surviving, so when one company closes you can move on to another. Education-wise I did welding but also graphics and web design so opposite ends of the spectrum. My last job before I came here was as a graphic designer and a web-designer.” Mahraaz’s wife Susana Khan, and his two daugh- ters Christine, now 17, and Alayna now 12, joined him a few months after he started dairy-farming. While it took the family a while to settle Susana now assists Mahraaz and the 2IC James Berry by doing the calf-rearing and helping out with milking if needed. They peak milk 310 Kiwi-Cross cows on 154 effective hectares. They grow their own maize and do their own silage so that like the other Pamu organic farms they’re largely self-sufficient, not least because it helps manage the cost of production. Mahraaz believes that pasture management with good rotations to avoid any over-grazing is one of the keys to organic farming. “We pay attention to the environment because we’re not using any synthetic fertilizer to boost growth, we just apply organic chicken manure once a year. It’s more like old-style farming,” he says. This year they averaged 475kg’s of milk solid per cow, they were grade free throughout the season, an achievement Mahraaz is very proud of, and the cost of production (COP) was $5.00 per kilo of milk solids. Marhaaz attributes their grade-free record to their vigilance. They pay close attention to the cows, keeping an eye on how they’re walking and whether there are any signs of discomfort, and being pro-active to prevent any infection taking hold as they don’t use antibiotics or pain-killers in their regime. If a cow’s health deteriorates such that antibiotics are needed they’re quarantined for the conventional withholding period then transferred out of the organic herd to one of the other farms. “Our mantra is ‘strip a quarter a day and keep the vets away,” says Mahraaz with a laugh. “We do two or three squirts on one of her teats by hand, looking for any abnormalities, before the cups go on. We rotate the regime clockwise a quarter at a time, so they’re all checked every four milkings.” Two cows have had to be treated with antibiotics in the two seasons Mahraaz has been there. The farm hosts up to 15 ITO students a week to assist with their training. Whether it’s a fencing module or moving stock, Mahraaz and James set things up so that the students get hands on experi- ence under their supervision to learn how to do it properly. On Tasman they’re big on team building says Mahraaz, and it’s obvious he enjoys what he’s do- ing. “Everyone on Tasman gets treated like family members. Plus we have an open gate policy so if anyone wants to come and see how we operate they can just give me a call, we sign them in for Health and Safety, and I’ll take them round.” “I’m in my second season here now,” says Mah- raaz, “and in all honesty I love dairy farming, and the rural lifestyle, I don’t like the hustle and bustle of the city. “I would say it’s stressless to work on a dairy farm. If you’re having a bad day you go out with the animals, you have friendly cows coming up to you, you give them a pat and the day takes a 360 degree turn.” “I would say it’s stressless to work on a dairy farm. If you’re having a bad day you go out with the animals, you have friendly cows coming up to you, you give them a pat and the day takes a 360 degree turn.” Photos: Alayna helps out feeding a pet calf while dad Mahraaz checks out the maize crop.