Jas Singh Mander

In 2015, dairy student Jas Singh Mander travelled between Taupō and Rotorua, looking over the fence at Pāmu farms and wondering if he would ever get to work there. It felt out of reach. After knockbacks in 2020 and 2021, he finally secured a 2IC role at Endeavour Dairy in February 2022. He did not stay a 2IC for long.  

Through hard work and consistent performance, he was promoted to Farm Manager in just three months. Fast forward to February 2026, and Jas is now a Contract Milker running a 2,250-cow, high-input winter milk operation. This rapid internal progression is driven by a clear target. He is using the equity and share farming model at Pāmu to build the business skills and capital needed to own his own farm.  

Jas comes from a multi-generational farming family in Punjab, India. He grew up working on a small dairy and mixed cropping farm. From the age of 12, he was driving tractors, feeding stock, and handling buffaloes. 

Moving to New Zealand as an international student required a major shift. Jas had to learn the mechanics of large, highly systemised dairy operations. He built his practical knowledge from the ground up. He started as a Dairy Assistant on a 1,600-cow System 5 farm, handling calf rearing and milking. He then worked his way through the ranks, moving to an Assistant Herd Manager role on a System 2 farm, and later spending four years as a 2IC on an 800-cow System 4 farm. 

Working alongside Kiwi, Dutch, and South African farmers exposed him to different farming systems. This helped him develop strong communication skills and an adaptable management style. 

As a Contract Milker, Jas focuses strictly on improving key farm performance indicators. He targets per-cow and per-hectare production, in-calf rates, pasture management, and feed utilisation. 

His results at Endeavour Dairy reflect this analytical approach. In FY25, the farm produced 753,000 kgMS and reached record production of 867,121kgMS in FY26 in Pāmu while maintaining highest Net Operating Profits, with a firm goal of hitting 900,000 kgMS in FY27.  

Looking further ahead, he sees the potential for the farm to reach 1 million kgMS by 2030 through ongoing improvements in herd reproduction, wearables, herd improvements, maintaining quality pastures, cropping and supplementary feed utilisations, re-grassing programme, attentions to detail, daily on farm decisions and having great people around on and off farm in Pāmu. 

This drive for production is balanced by his commitment to te ao Māori. For Jas, this means building meaningful relationships and practising kaitiakitanga. He acts as a guardian of the people, animals, land, and resources to ensure they are cared for responsibly for future generations. 

By working shoulder-to-shoulder with his team, he creates a culture of respect and fairness. He credits his own development to strong mentoring from Pāmu leaders like General Managers Sam Bunny and Shaun Neelay, and Business Managers Chris Robinson and Jason Halford. Their guidance helped him sharpen his budgeting, resource management, and strategic thinking. 

Jas is committed to giving back to the wider dairy industry. His high standards were recognised when he won the 2025 Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year title, along with the Pasture and Feed Management Award and the Dairy Management Award. 

He served on the Dairy Industry Awards committee in 2026 and actively employs and trains new people entering the sector. His five-year goal is to reach 50/50 sharemilking at a large scale and then working towards farm ownership. As a father, he hopes to continue his family farming legacy and inspire his children, Eimaan and Nivaan, to be part of the New Zealand dairy industry.