Solwezi family buys Boran bull for R2.3 million to smash SA breed record

Jumbo (WZ 1452), an eight-year-old Boran bull, is an exceptionally well-balanced animal that is structurally correct on nearly every level.

This was according to Simeon Hurwitz of Hurwitz Farming, after the bull was sold for R 2,3 million, a new South African record for the breed, at the recent Hurwitz Farming production sale near Bethal.

The previous record price for a Boran bull was R1,7 million.

The bull was bought by the Cutury family from Zambia, and Hurwitz said he was bred from one of the best cows ever known locally, and his progeny underpins his breeding value.

While Jumbo bred outstanding female animals, he was especially known for top-quality bull breeding.

“Not only will the Cutury’s Mutanda Farms operation benefit from this remarkable bull, but the entire Boran breed in Zambia stands to gain from his genetics.

“Although Zambia is one of the pioneering Boran breeding countries in Africa, the new genetics are bound to lend renewed impetus to the breed in that country. A bull like Jumbo’s semen will always be highly sought after and the semen can be used for countless generations to come,” he added.

The 2022 Hurwitz Farming auction broke every record in local Boran breeding circles.

The highest-priced cow and calf was sold for a record R1,1 million, while the highest-priced in-calf heifer realised R650 000, and an open heifer R320 000.

Two other bulls were sold for R1,5 million and R1,3 million respectively.

According to Hurwitz, the high prices underscored the increasing recognition of the breed’s intrinsic value as a truly African breed bred for African conditions.

The number of South African Boran breeders currently stands at 350 representing some 40 000 cattle.