Summary
Meet Viatina-19, the world’s most expensive cow worth $4.2 million. Viatin-19 is the product of years of efforts to raise meatier cows. She is the most expensivecow ever sold at auction, according to Guinness World Records.
A commodities boom in the 2000s turbocharged Brazilian agriculture, especially with a rising China buying soy and beef. Country music is booming. The Cow Channel features live auctions. Brazil, along with the U.S., is at the forefront of cattle genetics. It does more in-vitro fertilizations than any country in the world.
The most prestigious auction is called Elo de Raça, and Viatina-19 has been sold at increasingly higher prices there. The Elo is the most prestigious Auction at the annual ExpoZeb, which bills itself as the world’s biggest Zebu fair.
Ranching is here to stay; it’s an economic engine in Brazil. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been working to open new markets. Agriculture and livestock activity grew 3.6% from 2015 to 2023, compared to 0.8% for services.
High-maintenance cows like Viatina-19 aren’t profitable on a commercial scale, says P.J. Budler, a cattle judge and international business manager for Trans Ova Genetics. “She’s not the answer for all cattle everywhere,” he said. Viatin-19 is pregnant for the first time, which helps maintain hormone cycles.
