Cattle Farming: The New Zealand Farm

Location: Nuwara Eliya District, Central Province
Date of visit: 20th December 2010

On my return from Horton Plains, I visited the New Zealand Cattle Farm in the town of Ambewela. Also called “Little New Zealand”, Ambewela is the country’s Dairy capital and home to several local producers like the government owned Highland Factory and the Ambewela Cattle Farms.

Getting There

The town of Ambewela is located 17 km from Nuwara Eliya, on the way to the Hakgala Gardens and Horton Plains. It does have a train station linking it to the up-country railway line running between Badulla and Kandy. However unless you have made prior arrangements, finding local transportation within the town could be a challenge. I therefore suggest getting a tuk-tuk from Nuwara Eliya and swinging by on your return from Hakgala or Horton Plains. As quite a small town, hotel accommodations are also limited to only a few guest-house hotels.

Ambewela Farms

As you approach Ambewela, its evident you are now in farm country with beautiful green pastures on either side of the roads. There are two main cattle farms in town operated by the Stassen Group under the Ambewela Farms brand , one named Ambewela and the other New Zealand. The first breeds purebred Ayrshire cattle, having red or brown markings, and is located right on main road. The latter is located another 3 km off the main road.

The New Zealand Farm

The New Zealand Farm opens it doors to visitors, charging LKR 40 from locals and LKR 100 from tourists. The farm maintains a very clean operation to hygiene standards set by the Swedish Alfa Laval Company. Their primary livestock are purebred Friesian cows, although they also have a small herd of goats and rabbits. The cattle requires considerable attention and a regimented diet with sterilized drinking water to ensure milk quality. Get there around 4 pm and you could see the cows milked at their automatic milking parlors.

Friesian Cattle

Friesen cattle, also known as Holstein-Friesian, is the world’s highest production dairy animal. Originating in Europe, Friesians were bred in what is now the Netherlands and more specifically in the two northern provinces of North Holland and Friesland. The animals were the regional cattle of the Batavians and Frisians, two tribes who settled in the coastal Rhine region about 2,000 years ago.

The Dutch breeders bred and oversaw the development of the breed with the aim of obtaining animals which would make best use of grass. The result, over the centuries, was an efficient, high-producing black-and-white dairy cow. It is black and white due to artificial selection by the breeders.

Goto main Nuwara Eliya page: Nuwara Eliya

References:
1. “Ambewela Farms”, Stassen Group official website
2. “Holstein cattle”, Wikipedia