Dairy farmer embraces training opportunities in New Zealand
20 August 2025
From the family farm in India to seeking better life opportunities in New Zealand, Primary ITO learner Satbeer Sandhu has embraced a love of learning and passion for dairy farming to grow his career.
Satbeer at the 2025 NZ Dairy Industry Awards regionals where he placed third for Dairy Manager of the Year
Growing up in Saharanpur in Northern India, Satbeer’s first experience of farming was on the sixteen acres his family owns in the countryside outside of the city. With twenty buffalo and thirty cows, all farm work – including milking – is done by hand. Alongside farming in India, Satbeer’s love of learning saw him complete four master’s degrees: in English, Psychology, Philosophy and Education.
In 2010, his brother and sister-in-law came to New Zealand, where she worked as an accountant for dairy farms. Knowing Satbeer’s passion for farming, they suggested he come over to seek better work opportunities. Satbeer’s work visa was granted in early 2020 and he arrived on the last flight via Singapore before Covid lockdown.
It was a huge adjustment living in a different country, away from his wife and daughter in India, and with English as his third language. Satbeer had used an agent to help find work and his first role was as a farm assistant near Morrinsville.
Satbeer in the drivers seat preparing for post ramming.
He started as a farm assistant during the busy calving season. While it was a challenge, he got stuck into the work and his passion for farming helped as he adjusted to different ways of doing things. His 2IC and farm owner saw his love for learning, and suggested he look into courses through Primary ITO. A training adviser visited on farm to discuss the best options.
“I joined Primary ITO (milk quality short course), and they provided me with study materials. Those books proved a game-changer to me, because the study was all about what we do on farm on a daily basis. The knowledge from the books and practical work on farm improved my confidence.”
The following season Satbeer moved to Whangarei and spent another year as a farm assistant, before moving to Waikato for a herd manager role. In 2023 he moved to Pokeno, and his wife and daughter joined him in New Zealand. Last season the family moved to Te Aroha, where Satbeer became assistant manager on a 106 hectare, 330 cow farm owned by Carl Thomas.
In 2022 Satbeer signed up to a New Zealand Apprenticeship in Agriculture – Dairy Farming (Level 3 & 4), through Primary ITO. He has particularly enjoyed learning about milk quality and environmental strategies, and applying his knowledge on farm.
His training adviser Shontelle Budd says Satbeer is very motivated to learn.
“He loves doing his course work. He loves being in the dairy industry and what he does on farm. He has good support from his employer and anything he needs, his employer helps him.”
Satbeer proudly holds the 2025 Fonterra Dairy Management Award
It has been a successful year for Satbeer, who won the Fonterra Dairy Management Award, and placed third for the Dairy Manager Award at the NZ Dairy Industry Awards regional finals. He was motivated to enter to meet new people, share experiences, and most importantly, to test his knowledge.
“The judges come on farm and analyse where you stand, where your knowledge is. As I applied my learnings from Level 3 and 4 about milk quality, pasture, calving, mating and livestock, it helped me to get the awards.”
He says he formed a habit of taking photos and keeping a dairy diary with notes and a farm action plan, as part of his Primary ITO study. The judges were impressed with that.
Satbeer says the support from his employer and Primary ITO training adviser Shontelle Budd was very good.
“Any issue I just text her and she would call or come out to the farm and give me some options or explain any questions and check my answer. She’s really helpful.”
He says his faith has also played an important role. “I am thankful to god because he chose me to be a dairy farmer.”
As for the future, Satbeer is keen to keep learning.
Nearly all Primary ITO dairy farming programmes are available with up to 50% off fees. To speak to a local Training Adviser about training options for you or your team, click here.