Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Mafioso, a high-pedigree Argentine Brangus breeding bull, sold for $200,000 for 50% ownership -- the highest price ever paid for such an animal at a livestock auction in the country.
The sale took place at the Rural Society of Jesús María in Córdoba during an annual auction of elite breeding stock. The bull belonged to El Porvenir, an award-winning livestock producer.
Mafioso, a 3-year-old Brangus bull that weighs 2,041 pounds, is the son of Picante, an elite bull who won several national competitions. His lineage makes him a high-value genetic sire, giving the sale significance not only nationally, but also internationally.
Half of the bull was purchased by a group of ranchers along with Select Debernardi, an Argentine company that specializes in genetic improvement and bovine semen production for beef and dairy cattle.
Mafioso, regarded as a true "sire" of the Brangus breed, is expected to have his genetics used by leading breeding operations, securing his legacy in elite cattle production worldwide.
