Spokesperson Kevin Clark says it was born out of a combination of frustration and opportunity.
Dairy bull breeders were frustrated at the decline in the number of bull genetics companies were accepting into their programmes over recent years.
This had resulted in good bulls with great genetics not being utilised.
“The current restrictions placed on farmers by AB companies are very limiting. They often result in bull calves of high genetic merit having limited use because the AB company restricts the owner from selling to other AB companies or collecting semen from the bull even though they may not want to progeny test it,” Clark said.
Those breeders – around 30 located across NZ – formed Matriarch Genetics to create a model to give breeders and like-minded people the opportunity to use some of those genetics.
Its current membership contributes about 50% of the bulls whose semen is used by genetics companies and spans across the three main dairy breeds – Friesian, Jersey and Crossbred.
“The pool of genetics we have got to tap into is as good as any,” he said.
The company is open to any dairy farmer to join and after paying a joining fee, get access to genetics that are free of the current IP restrictions imposed by breeding companies.
By effectively trading genetics amongst themselves as well as selling semen and animals to the public, Matriarch will sire prove bulls across a number of herds.
Members may choose to purchase or lease bulls from other members, or purchase semen if it is a proven bull.
“A lot of it is about sharing the genetics and not being restricted by the IP clauses of current companies and that has gone up a couple of levels since it was first introduced to the point that if we were to offer our females to a particular AI company and they decline that bull, it leaves up with no other alternative for those genetics. We can’t offer it to an alternative company.”
He says it forced those farmers to think long and hard before they offered up their stock to these companies.
“They might only purchase 5% of cows that are contract mated, that leaves a lot of cows that produce bulls that we can’t seek an alternative for,” he said.
He says Matriarch’s model was to share those genetics amongst its members without those IP restrictions.
If they do get proven bulls, it will be offered to AI companies to be marketed on the basis they exchange genetics on a like-for-like basis.
He says they hope over time to be able to have at least 25 bulls from the three main dairy breeds and use those bulls as the seed stock for the next generation.
Clark wants to work alongside the main two genetics companies LIC and CRV rather than view them as competition as most of its members had existing relationships with these companies.
Over the next few years, Matriarch will build up IP on a large genetic pool of females and male cattle.
“Matriarch is really about putting farmers in the driving seat. Our shareholders want more control over their herd IP, and more choice about the type of genetics they use in their herd. Matriarch will deliver that.” Clark said.
