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Obert Chifamba, Harare Bureau

IN one of the biggest coups for Zimbabwe’s cattle breeding industry, while athletes were busy setting fresh benchmarks or re-writing past records at the on-going Paris Olympics, Zimbabwean cattle rancher, Mr Collen Tafireyi, was engraving his name into the archives of the cattle industry.

He shattered cattle auction records at the Hurwitz Farming Production Auction held at the Bull Ring Auction House in Davel, Mpumalanga, South Africa recently by buying a prized Boran Stud bull for a whopping R8 million (US$444 000).

Besides sending shockwaves through the agriculture industries in South Africa, Zimbabwe and beyond, Mr Tafireyi’s incredible feat demonstrates the seriousness of the country and its citizenry in re-building the national herd after years of under-performing.

Mr Tafireyi is a Boran breeder at Sinyo Boran Stud in Hwedza, Mashonaland East. 

En route to breaking cattle auction records, Mr Tafireyi shook off stiff competition from other Boran enthusiasts who included his friend and neighbour, Mr Rogers Sithole of Black Ox Farming, in an intense bidding battle that saw him emerging the conqueror with a colossal bull.

“This was not about the price. It was about getting what I value most — the biggest and best Boran stud in Africa. I want to be among the best Boran breeders on the continent. I want to be known for the best quality and cattle genetics in Africa and beyond. 

“I have only been in the industry for three years but my plan is to transform the entire cattle industry in Zimbabwe and to do that we must have the best genetics and the best bulls for the right combinations,” Mr Tafireyi said in an interview recorded on YouTube just after the auction.

The visibly ecstatic Mr Tafireyi observed that he was driven by a strong desire to build one of the best Boran studs in Africa. He sees the Boran as the breed of choice not only in Zimbabwe but across Africa.

“Boran cattle are drought tolerant, they eat anything, do well even under difficult conditions. They are the breed for Africa and this bull will be the cornerstone of my project, as I push to become the biggest Boran breeder in Africa,” said Mr Tafireyi. 

The auction not only laid a gem in Mr Tafireyi’s hands but brought to the fore the importance of investing in top-quality genetics for the improvement of cattle breeds. 

His prized bull Cyclone is expected to have a significant impact on the cattle breeding industry in Zimbabwe, with the goal of elevating breeding standards and transforming the industry into one of the best on the continent through investments in top genetics and knowledge sharing.

Cyclone was bred and sold by brothers, Simeon and Jarren Hurwitz of Hurwitz Farming. The Hurwitz Farming auction is a prominent event in the industry, attracting Boran enthusiasts and buyers from far and wide and is one of South Africa’s pioneers in the Boran breed with nearly 30 years of experience.

The Boran was developed in eastern Africa, more specifically the Borana plateau in southern Ethiopia. This area was where all the different breeds migrated through to their various destinations in Africa.