Breeds of Uberaba
Brazil's zebu capital, where Indian cattle imported in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were bred into a national herd.
Breeds of this place
Best time: April to May, for the zebu fair.
Uberaba is a city in the Triângulo Mineiro, the western tip of Minas Gerais. From the late nineteenth century, ranchers here imported zebu cattle from India and bred them for Brazil's tropical pastures. The city became the centre of zebu breeding in Brazil, home of the national zebu breeders' association and of a large annual zebu fair.
Zebu in Brazil
Gir, Kankrej, Ongole and other Indian cattle were shipped to Brazil in several waves, up to the 1960s. In Brazil they became the Gyr, the Guzerá, the Nelore and the Indu-Brasil, bred locally for beef, milk or both. Zebu cattle, above all the white Nelore, now make up most of Brazil's huge cattle herd, one of the largest in the world.
The fair
Each year, usually in late April or early May, Uberaba holds a zebu fair that brings breeders, buyers and researchers from across Brazil and abroad. Cattle are judged by breed, and auctions of bulls and embryos draw large sums. A zebu museum in the city tells the story of the imports.
A trail idea for Uberaba
- Fair grounds The park where the annual zebu fair is held.
- Zebu museum The history of the Indian cattle imports to Brazil.
- Triângulo Mineiro farms Pasture country where zebu herds graze.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Uberaba" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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