Most expensive cow in the world is protected by armed bodyguard
Due to its estimated value of $4.3 million, Viatina-19 is constantly monitored by cameras and protected by an armed guard. Many Brazilians visit her barn on a farm near the city of Uberaba in the eastern state of Minas Gerais to see the unusual animal.
According to the Associated Press, the price of the cow is three times greater than the value of the last most expensive cow in the world sold. This is due to the fact that Viatina-19 gained a lot of muscle tissue very quickly, is very fertile and passed on its characteristics to its offspring.
“She’s the closest to perfection,” said Lorrany Martins, the veterinarian caring for the cow. “She is a complete cow, she has all the characteristics that all breeders are looking for,” she added.
Viatina-19 belongs to the Nelore beef cows and is the embodiment of Brazilian ambitions related to many years of breeding champions. It happens that due to the price, one animal has several owners. Breeders obtain eggs or sperm and inseminate the embryos into surrogate cows, hoping that they will produce the next generation of champions.
Climate scientists are calling for reducing beef consumption because its production is the largest source of greenhouse gases for global agriculture. Moreover, the creation of more pastures leads to increasing deforestation of the Amazon. According to data from the US Ministry of Agriculture, there are over 230 million cows in Brazil.
At the same time, cattle breeding is the main source of Brazil’s economic development, and the government is trying to conquer new markets, including Japan. Brazil is the largest beef exporter in the world.
This article was originally published on Onet Travel.
