World's most expensive cow sold for Ksh.517M at auction

A Brazilian Nelore cow estimated to be worth $4 million (approx. Ksh.517 million) is now the world’s most expensive cow sold at auction, according to the Guinness World Records.

The cow named Viatina-19 FIV Mara Movéis is snow white in colour and weighs a whopping 1,100 kilograms.

Being the prized commodity that it is, the cow has been under the watchful eyes of security cameras, an armed guard, and a veterinarian on standby.

“She is the closest to perfection that has been attained so far, she’s a complete cow, has all the characteristics that all the proprietors are looking for,” said her veterinarian Lorrany Martins.

Dominating Brazil’s lucrative meat industry, the staggering price of the cow stems from how quickly she is able to put on muscle, her fertility, and how easily she is able to pass down these characteristics to her offspring.

Martins revealed that, to be able to achieve this, eggs and semen are extracted from champion animals to create embryos which are then implanted in surrogate cows.

She further added that Viatina-19’s egg cells are sold to those interested in such livestock genetics at $250,000 (approx. Ksh.32 million)

When bidding for similar cows what make them more attractive is the posture, hoof solidarity, docility, maternal ability and beauty.