Dario Agrentina
Starting Small, Thinking Big
Darío Del Erba began his farming career in 1998, rearing heifers. By 2001, he had rented a farm with an old milking parlour and opened his first dairy unit with just 28 owned cows and 60 rented. Four years later, he opened his second Tambo (dairy farm) and confirmed his belief:
“Dairy farming is a source of opportunity for everyone, and the only thing you need to improve and grow is wanting to.”
People and Education at the Centre
From the beginning, Darío placed his team and education at the heart of his goals. He recognised the multiplying effect of dairy production and its impact on those working alongside him:
“Dairy production is a value-added chain. If you think about the value of a kilo of dry grass matter and then the value of a kilo of cheese, you see the impact it has — not just for me but for every worker, advisor, and family connected to the farm.”
The Need for Resilient Cows
Three decades of farming meant navigating Argentina’s political and economic crises. For Darío, success depended on cows that were both resilient and adaptable — thriving on forage-based systems while coping with uncertainty.
That search led him to Ireland in 2018, when he visited NCBC (Solnua) with his discussion group CREA.
“It was then that I found the cow I was looking for — through SOLNUA genetics.”
Growth with Solnua Genetics
Today, Darío milks 1,000 cows across five production units. Since working with Solnua genetics, he has seen the impact in both milk and beef performance. For him, the beef sub-index is central to product efficiency.
In 2023, he launched a value-added project for his surplus male and female calves. Each year, he finishes and slaughters around 470 steers and heifers, producing premium cuts for hotels and restaurants, artisan meats for his butcher shop Pampa Gringa, and ready-to-eat meals. His seal of approval is “Carne de Holando Irlandés” (Frisian Beef from Irish dairy cattle) — now served in the only 5-star hotel in the region, the Marriot Corrientes.
