Discover the Main Cattle Breeds of Brazil

Owner of the 2nd largest herd in the world, Brazil is a reference when it comes to livestock. Whether for beef or dairy, Brazilian cattle stand out. Crossbreeds like Girolando, which even has an association, were created in Brazil to explore the advantages of each breed. In this edition, we will showcase the eight main cattle breeds in Brazil.GirolandoEven considering all cattle breeds, the Holstein is a reference in dairy production. However, as it is a European cattle, it does not adapt well to some hotter states, such as those in northeastern Brazil.The Gir cattle arrived in Brazil in 1911 and quickly spread due to its hardiness and carcass yield. The animal was prominent in slaughterhouses but soon lost ground with the arrival of Nelore cattle. In 1960, owners began selecting the best dairy females. Thus began the story of Gir Leiteiro.The crossbreeding of the two breeds intensified with the PROCRUZA program from the Ministry of Agriculture in the 1980s. The cattle gained prominence for their good milk production and adaptability. With the growth of the herd and standardization in crossbreeding, the breed was officially recognized in 1996.GuzeráLike the Gir, Guzerá is a Zebu breed. Thus, it is also a resilient and easily adaptable cattle. As the association itself states, it is a dual-purpose breed (beef and dairy). In recent decades, the introduction of Guzerá in the dairy sector has grown rapidly. Like the Gir, the breed has been crossed with Holstein, giving rise to Guzolando. Today, the breed already has females producing more than 6000 kg per lactation, a significant mark for a Zebu breed.HolsteinThe Holstein breed is world-renowned for its good milk production. It is believed that the arrival of this cattle in Brazil occurred between 1530 and 1535, during the time of hereditary captaincies.As it is a European breed, it is not rustic or adaptable enough for some places in Brazil. Proof of this is that 84% of the breeders of this cattle are located in the states of São Paulo, Paraná, and Minas Gerais (mostly in the southern part of the state). However, under ideal conditions, such as confinement, it is an excellent milk producer, with lactations frequently exceeding 10,000 kg. Among the cattle breeds most present in Brazil, it is the best milk producer.NeloreAs the favorite among beef producers in Brazil, Nelore is also the largest Brazilian cattle herd. It accounts for 85% of all cattle. Most of this herd is raised on pasture. However, to maximize results, mineral supplementation is necessary.Originating from Zebu, Nelore became so popular due to its hardiness and good weight gain. The breed’s coat allows the animal to suffer less from heat. Thus, it is ideal for extensive cattle ranching, which accounts for 90% of cattle culture in Brazil.SenepolOf African origin and with a large herd in the United States, Senepol cattle have a recent history in Brazil. The first animals arrived in the 2000s. However, genetic leaders of the breed and the best females were imported. As expected, today Brazil is already a reference when it comes to Senepol cattle genetics.With a unique aptitude, Senepol has frequently appeared in slaughterhouses. According to the association itself, the cattle have high carcass finish and early slaughter, even on pasture. As it is a recently arrived breed, it is still not widely spread, but it promises to challenge Zebu breeds in the coming years.CharolaisOriginating from France, Charolais cattle arrived in Brazil in the 19th century, with Rio Grande do Sul as the entry point. The growth of the breed in this state was so significant that currently the largest Charolais cattle herd in the world is in Gaúcha lands. In the 1960s, breeding began to expand to northern and northeastern states in Brazil. Industrial crossbreeding with Zebu was introduced to increase the hardiness of this cattle, which comes from regions with milder climates. As can be deduced, Charolais is one of the beef cattle breeds.SindiBrought from Pakistan, Sindi arrived in Brazil in the 1950s and, as usual, was tested for dairy purposes. Although not an excellent producer, Sindi cattle can be considered dual-purpose. This breed, like other Zebu breeds, stands out for its hardiness and resistance. Therefore, it can often be seen in the more arid lands, such as in the northeastern part of the country.Gir LeiteiroAlso of Zebu origin, the story of Gir in Brazil took a different turn. With much genetic improvement work, the breed became ideal for those seeking hardiness and good milk production. Today, it is already recognized as the best Zebu for milk production in tropical climates. Additionally, it produces milk of high nutritional value, combining good protein and fat numbers. It is commonly found in the Southeast and Midwest regions of Brazil, as well as in some parts of Bahia.Nelore Bombado, meet the breed created by BraziliansBrazilian scientists are developing a muscular herd with 10% more meat, animals that can reduce the environmental costs of livestock and increase productivity. On a farm in Araçatuba, São Paulo, lives the first herd of a Brazilian variety of Nelore born with the promise of increasing productivity and reducing the environmental costs of beef cattle ranching.The expansion of pastures is currently one of the main causes of deforestation. The new bulls and cows have hypertrophied muscles that look like they were worked out in gyms. The calves, however, are the product of another academy, the scientific one. The Nelore Bombado variety is the result of the combination of cutting-edge genetic technology and traditional selection.Genetics was used to facilitate selection and make the process more precise. Part of the doctoral research of veterinarian Rodrigo Alonso, the study is the result of 12 years of research. He combined his knowledge of Nelore with what was known from the genetic tests of researcher Amílcar Tanuri, a professor at UFRJ and co-advisor of Alonso’s doctorate in the Animal Reproduction Department at USP.With the help of genetic tests that indicate the presence of the mutation that leads to increased muscle mass, researchers developed a variety of Nelore from the crossbreeding of this breed with the Belgian Blue. In heterozygous animals (only with one copy of the mutated gene), the gain in muscle mass is not so significant. Therefore, the goal was to achieve a fully Nelore and homozygous animal (with both copies of the altered gene). These are the super cows. The super muscular variety, named Nelore Myo, is more productive because it has more meat. A cow with more muscle is a cow with more meat. And more tender meat.A Nelore ready for slaughter weighs about 500 kilos. Of this total, around 265 kilos are meat and bone, the parts effectively paid for by slaughterhouses. In Nelore Myo, it reaches 300 kilos of meat and bone. We went from 53% to 55% to 60%, in terms of yield. In the first technical slaughter, there was a gain of three arrobas. At the current price of fat cattle, this gives an extra gain of R$ 365 per animal.The Nelore Myo appears heavier, but it has more lean mass, muscular. Therefore, it has more meat at the same weight — says Alonso, scientific coordinator of the project.Researchers emphasize that the higher production per animal means environmental gain. Currently, Brazil has 200 million hectares occupied by pastures. This represents just under a quarter of the national territory, with a density of about one animal per hectare, according to Embrapa. Efficiency is low. European cattle do not adapt to Brazil. Nelore possesses characteristics and the stature of European beef cattle, which is more productive but unable to adapt to the tropical climate of most of Brazil.Nelore, originating from India, is more than at home in Brazil, representing about 80% of the 200 million heads of local beef cattle. Resilient and well adapted, it has gained an athletic build thanks to a mutation that it normally does not present, in the myostatin gene, associated with muscle development. This modification can occur naturally in all vertebrates, from humans to fish. It confers an extremely muscular appearance and has already been identified in children who are born very strong. With the mutation, myostatin does not inhibit muscle growth and gives its carriers what is called double musculature. Cows of European breeds, especially the Belgian Blue, were selected for having this mutation and being very muscular.Today, the Nelore Myo herd has about 500 animals of different ages and degrees of Nelore purity, all with the mutation. More than just strong bulls and cows, it was also a demonstration of the strength of national science.Animals are not transgenic; the Arnold Schwarzenegger appearance of the Nelore Myo bovines draws attention. Its modernity, however, is linked only to the biotechnology process that allowed for the acceleration and improvement of the oldest practice of selecting animals for food production.Whether animals or plants, all the food we consume is the result of selection. For millennia, humans have crossbred and selected animals with the aim of obtaining desirable characteristics. Thus arose, for example, all the breeds and varieties of domestic animals that we know. Unlike animals developed through genetic alterations (transgenics), those created by selection do not gain genes or mutations in genes that do not naturally exist in their species.Volnei Garrafa, coordinator of the Bioethics Studies and Research Center at the University of Brasília (Neped/UnB), says that, although some people may be shocked by certain characteristics, there is, in principle, nothing unethical about selecting useful traits for humans. If this novelty does not pose risks to human health or the environment and can increase food supply, I see no problem. Of course, there are other moral considerations for some people. Every discussion needs to be plural — says Garrafa. He emphasizes that this does not only concern animals raised for consumption: — There are, for example, people who are vegan because they care about the suffering of slaughtered animals, but at the same time, they breed highly questionable dog breeds. There are dogs that have huge heads or misshapen bodies. And they suffer a lot from that. Garrafa, known for pioneering studies in Brazil on transgenics, cloning, and stem cells, believes that society needs, above all, to re-discuss: — Humanity has changed itself. We can reproduce in laboratories, we eat transgenic foods, and we prolong life in a totally artificial way. Nothing is natural anymore. What are the limits? This is a profound and necessary ethical discussion.
Sources: www.calciolandia.com, www.gadoholandes.com, www.senepolcmi.com.br & www.3agenetica.com.br. Content Reproduced from the O Globo website for the www.comprerural.com website.