Dairy farms in Australia and New Zealand have the finest of everything from their cattle to the type of pastures and technology. These farms are set in lush green hills and blessed with cool climes and a pristine environment.

The Ambewela farm is one such farm in Sri Lanka that is setting similar standards. Lanka Milk Foods acquired it in 2001 as part of a drive to promote dairy farming as a profitable venture. Dr. Arinesarajah Shakthievale, Director - Dairy Projects of Lanka Milk Foods, says "I was advising Lanka Milk Foods (LMF) on milk collection from farmers when I was working at the Ministry of Policy Planning and Implementation. I realized that the management of LMF was genuinely interested in developing the milk industry in Sri Lanka. When the Ministry of Livestock Development and Estate Infrastructure wanted to privatise a few of its livestock farms I advised that LMF must take a farm and run it, showing others that dairy farms could be run as a profitable venture. To my surprise, they took not one, but two farms, Ambewela and the New Zealand farms." Dr. Shakthievale is the first Sri Lankan veterinarian to hold a postgraduate degree from the University of Reading, UK on agricultural economics. Before joining Lanka Dairies Ltd. he was the Additional Secretary (Livestock) to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Set in the lush, cool hills of Nuwara Eliya it boasts the best of everything from pedigree cows to lush green fields where cattle graze freely and happily thus yielding best quality milk of international standards. The secret to the success of the farm is a set of beliefs that are centred around the well being of the welfare of the cows that live on the farm. The Ambewela farm unlike most farms in Sri Lanka has only purebred Ayrshire cows. The original stock was imported from Australia in 1941/2. For breeding purposes imported Ayrshire stud bulls served the cows initially. Later, the breed was maintained as a pure line by carrying out artificial inseminations using imported semen from proven Ayrshire sires.

Ayrshire cows are high producing animals and have to be provided with a balanced diet. The protein, energy and minerals are provided to them through the concentrated feed and pasture, in a balanced proportion. Furthermore, depending on the individual milk yield that quantity of feed too is varied to each and every animal.

The farm when established had natural grass, which was unproductive. This was replaced by establishing kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum) almost across the farmland. Later napier grass, which was easier to cut, was established in a few areas of the farm, but this variety of grass had less nutrients than the kikuyu grass. Furthermore, the kikuyu that was harvested earlier on was declining due to age. At this time it was learnt that in New Zealand and Australia - where cattle are mainly maintained on grass - a new type of grass called ryegrass had replaced the kikuyu grass. This step was adopted in the farm as well and clover was planted along with the ryegrass to provide nitrogen. International advisers were invited from the USA, Australia and New Zealand to examine the option of propagating this grass on the farms for the cows to graze and be fed on, and consequently this step was adopted in the farm and clover was planted along with the ryegrass to provide nitrogen.

The calves that are born are generally quite large, and as a result a few animals may need to be assisted during calving. Therefore closer to the calving dates the heavy pregnant animals are moved to a separate shed and kept under observation, all 24 hours, under the supervision of a resident veterinary surgeon. Unlike tropical varieties of cattle, temperate varieties tend to be susceptible to illness, which can spread like wildfire amongst the herds if contracted. Therefore the animals are treated through vaccination and other preventative measures at regular intervals.

The quality of the milk generally depends on not only the genetic make-up of the animals but also on the feed they consume, the water they drink, their health control and the cleanliness of the milking process. The Ambewela the cows are cleaned and machine-milked and the milk is sent directly to chilling tanks, so that contamination of the milk is minimised. At room temperature the bacteria multiply very fast. Since the milk is instantly chilled in the farm tanks, the multiplication of bacteria is controlled and the quality of milk is undoubtedly the purest milk produced in Sri Lanka.