MORE than half a million dollars was paid for the nation's top dairy animals at International Dairy Week last week.
Of the $595,965 spent, Victorian buyers outlaid $286,000 for Brown Swiss, Jersey and Holstein animals, embryos and semen.
The Holstein sale last Wednesday night attracted the biggest crowd and the highest prices, with 47 lots grossing $429,850, for an average of $9146.
This was a record Australasian average, according to Dairy Livestock Services auctioneer Brian Leslie.
The top price for the week was $36,000, paid by the Bryce Syndicate of Numbaa, NSW, for Cairnhill Goldwyn Pretty, a daughter of this year's Dairy Week champion Dryfield Dundee Paradise, owned by the Zanders family of Kialla and Morsan Farms, of Canada.
Greg and Michelle Anderson, of Gin Gin in Queensland, paid $33,000 for red-and-white heifer Ponderosa SS Jodie from L&M Giglia of Western Australia.
Japanese buyers Sojitz purchased two lots, Murribrook FC Passion ET from Murribrook Holsteins at Moss Vale in NSW for $9100, and Tasmanian-bred Fairvale Damion Josie 57 for $8800.
Mr Leslie said the Japanese buyers helped push prices up on a number of other cattle.
Overall, NSW buyers purchased $153,740 worth of cattle, including $110,500 worth of Holsteins.
A further $123,825 (including $101,800 for Holsteins) was paid by Queensland buyers.
South Australian and Tasmanian buyers also contributed to the total.
"Cattle were bought (from) all over and by many that enjoyed a better milk price and a better season," Mr Leslie said.
"Buyers weren't all from drought and low milk-price areas."
Mr Leslie would not comment on how Bovine Johne's Disease regulations in South Australia, NSW and Queensland influenced the sale.
"It's where the buyers happened to be from," he said.
