The livestock breed takes its name from the Chiana valley, which the town dominates. Chianina beef costs 30 euros a kg ($18.60 a lb), more than the 20 euros a kg for Italian prime beef, but a fraction of the price for Wagyu, which can sell for 750 euros a kg ($460 a lb).

The Chianina (Italian pronunciation: [kjaˈniːna]) is an Italian breed of cattle, formerly principally a draught breed, now raised mainly for beef. It is the largest and one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world. The famous bistecca alla fiorentina is produced from its meat.

South African cattle typically bred for the beef industry include:

• Afrikaner Cattle, which are also particularly suited to dairy farming.
• Angus Beef/Aberdeen Angus, one of the first cattle breeds bred exclusively for beef production.

The breed originated primarily in the west central part of Italy and was found in a wide variety of environmental conditions. Because of this, the cattle vary in size and type from region to region.

Individual temperaments run the gamut from nervous to aggressive, and crossbreeding doesn’t always improve the situation. A few dedicated seedstock producers have gone to great pains to breed docile temperaments into their cattle. Prospective Chianina owners would do well to seek out one of these breeders.

Not only is Chianina meat lean, but it is also the leanest type of beef, with a fat content of 2% and an extremely fine marbling.

Boran bull sold for R1,7m sets new South African record. The R1,7 million winning bid for an eight-year-old bull sold recently at the National Boran Sale, set a new South African price record for a bull of this breed, far surpassing the previous national record of R1 million.

Nguni Cattle Breeders
The Nguni Cattle Breeders Society, which was established in 1985, labels it as the breed that “produces the most kilogram of beef per hectare at the lowest cost,” making the Nguni “the most profitable and economically sustainable beef breed”.

The Chianina cattle are known to have docile temperament and they are relatively easy to handle. The breed is also noted for their easy calving. Although they were quite popular as a draught animal in the past, but today the breed is used primarily for meat production. The breed is also widely used for cross-breeding.

Bodacious (bull)

During the observed time period, the number of cows reached a peak in 2016 with approximately 2.37 million animals counted. …

President Cyril Ramaphosa sold nine cattle worth R2. 7 million at an auction last week. The “Ankole” cattle were bred on Ramaphosa’s Ntaba Nyoni farm in Mpumalanga. He also bought a bull for R3 million.