Why $4 million Brazilian cow is the new star of the livestock world
Brazil is not just home to some of the most skilful football players to ever grace the sport; the South American country also houses hundreds of millions of cows.
Among these, one stands out and stands tall: Viatina-19 FIV Mara Móveis. This massive cow is described by the Guinness World Records as the most expensive cow ever sold at auction.
Viatina-19 FIV Mara Móveis is valued at $4 million, and that's not all. Her selling price is said to be three times more than that of the previous record holder. Weighing 1,100 kilograms (more than 2,400 pounds), she is estimated to be twice as heavy as an average adult of her breed.
Experts attribute the cow's massive price tag to one thing: how quickly she puts on vast amounts of muscle. This, along with her fertility and—crucially—how often she has passed those characteristics to her offspring, makes her highly valuable. Those eager to enhance their livestock's genetics are paying around $250,000 for an opportunity to collect Viatina-19’s egg cells. These incredible features and characteristics are why she is monitored by security cameras and an armed guard.
Despite her recent high auction price tag, Viatina-19 has always been a star cow. She has won award after award, including "Miss South America" at the Fort Worth, Texas-based "Champion of the World" competition—a bovine version of Miss Universe where cows and bulls from different countries compete. However, at 3 years old, she had not yet proven that her egg cells, when fertilized and implanted in a surrogate cow, would reliably produce offspring bearing her champion characteristics, according to Pereira, an internet executive who transitioned into elite cow breeding.
Viatina-19's owner, Pereira, mentioned that she receives special treatment to boost egg cell production. However, he believes she would thrive if she were put to pasture, where almost all his elite cattle feed.
Currently, Viatina-19 is pregnant for the first time, which helps maintain her hormone cycles. Pereira is considering expansion; her egg cells have been sold to Bolivian buyers, and he aims to export to the United Arab Emirates, India, and the US.
"If she is the best in the world—not just in price, but in quality—I believe we need to share her with the world," Pereira stated.
