Agriculture
15 March, 2026
Prize milker - embryos destined for global market
AN Australian-Irish partnership has pounced to pay a national breed record price for a prized Loddon dairy cow.
Declan Patten and John Tarpey topped the first-ever on-property auction at the Govett’s brown Swiss breed Tandarra Genetics with their $37,000 bid for the third of 47 cows offered and sold on Friday.
“It’s the first time we have invested in brown Swiss,” said Mr Patten who founded Lightning Ridge Genetics in Gippsland more than 20 years ago,” he said after beating off rival bidders in a spirited start to the auction.
“John has been starting to purchase cattle and he has a keen eye for brown Swiss.
“The plan is to bring more brown Swiss genetics to Ireland and also Europe, globally, into the future,”
Friday’s sale at Dingee had been a long-held dream for Ben Govett and follows decades of success in the show ring for the family.
The stud was established 40 years ago by his parents Bill and Judy when they bought semen from the United States “trusting a good mate ... a jersey breeder in the United States” to put it with their jersey cows.
The Govetts have been pioneers of the brown Swiss breed in Australia and Mr Patten said: “If not for Ben, I would not now own a brown Swiss.”
“It’s a breed growing in popularity and there’s more investment in the breed at the moment. “And there’s no better breeder in Australia than the Govetts.”
The top price heifer last Friday - Tandara Aldo Heidi - had been awarded both the three-year-old and intermediate champion banners at International Dairy Week in January.
The sale topper beat the previous national record set in New South Wales last year by $4000.
“She was the best cow in the auction,” said Mr Patten. “It was an incredible sale and amazing to be part of the day.
“For us, it first the people - Ben - and then the cow. We’re excited to now own her.”
Auctioneer Brian Leslie said Heidi was probably one of the best young cows bred by the Govetts.
Mr Patten said the auction had drawn people from other breeds and he was confident there would be demand for the brown Swiss genetics. He said some breed cattle could produce up to 200 embryos.
Ben Govett said after the sale: “This has been a dream come true. For 20 years to hold a sale like this has been the dream, it’s a long journey and doesn’t happen in 12 months.”
The sale average of $8555 also broke the record of $8100 set in NSW last year.
Twelve of the 47 brown Swiss under the hammer were sold for more than $10,000. Hunterfield Farming, Deniliquin, paid the second highest price of $16,000 for Tandara Aldo Luna and also bought another two for $10,000 each.
The auction was billed as Diamonds in the Dingee Dust with more than 100 people on-property and another 300 reported following the bidding online.
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