Times Of Swaziland: MINISTER: E8M VALUED BORAN BULL PURCHASED FOR E30 000

MINISTER: E8M VALUED BORAN BULL PURCHASED FOR E30 000
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Ntombi Mhlongo on 04/09/2024 19:08:00


MBABANE - Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has clarified that
the Boran bull exhibited at the Eswatini International Trade Fair was not
initially bought for E8 milion.
Instead, it was purchased for E30 000 in 2019. Explaining, Minister of
Agriculture Mandla Tshawuka, said the E8 million price was just an example of
how expensive such bulls are, especially when purchased during auctions. During
the official opening of the Trade Fair last Saturday, the minister got the
opportunity to brief His Majesty King Mswati III about the presence of the breed
and emphasised on how high its value had gone up in recent years.
Escalation
The minister said the escalation of the price of such bulls is often influenced
by auctioneers, as they intensify competition for the highest possible value, as
was the case in South Africa recently, whereby a Zimbabwean cattle rancher,
Collen Tafireyi, bought the prized Boran bull for a whopping US$444 000,
approximately E8 million. This happened at the Hurwitz Farming Production
auction held at the Bull Ring Auction House in Davel, Mpumalanga.
According to the minister, about seven Boran cattle (six cows and one bull) were
bought in 2019 and were kept at the Manyonyaneni Cattle Breeding Station. These,
the minister said, joined breeds under the Beef Cattle Improvement Programme
implemented by the ministry in government ranches. Currently, according to the
minister, the herd stands at 15 and two bulls were loaned to farmers through the
Bull Loan Scheme in 2023.
Adapted
Boran cattle were originally bred in eastern Africa more than 1 000 years ago,
and are known for being very well adapted to harsh conditions on the continent.
According to farming experts, the greatest attribute of the Boran is its
fertility, according to the Boran Cattle Breeders’ Society of South Africa.
The experts argue that even under harsh conditions, the Boran cow will continue
to breed and rear calves and do this without punishing herself. Boran cattle are
also regarded as docile and easy to handle.