Rintfee
Mennonites have been known to
maintain herds of many types of cattle.
In the USA for instance, every Mennonite family had traditionally
maintained a couple of dairy cattle – probably either the Dutch Holsteins or
Jerseys – most commonly, probably a mix between the two. Russian Mennonites on the great plains of Assiniboia most often seemed to favor the Angus breeds grown for beef – Red Angus
or Black Angus – still the most commonly noticeable cattle when driving through
the Northern Prairie ranch country. The
newest arrival on the scene for Mennonites in Lustre-Volt for instance are not
cattle at all but rather traditional North American Bison, which are both
highly acclimated and marketed as a healthy beef alternative.
According to GAMEO, Russian
Mennonites had traditionally grown East Friesland Cattle but developed their
own breed, the Molotschna Cow or
German Red Cow in Ukraine. (Note that
various breeding guides indicate that the Middle German Red is now often
referred to as the German Red.)
Mennonites in Brazil and Paraguay have also developed an affection for
the Asian breed Nelore of Indian Zebu descent, which is known for its endurance
in hot climates and its versatility as a milk, beef and cartage breed. Zebus breeds are distinguished by their fatty
humps, long dewlaps and droopy ears (Wikipedia).
Photo:
Rescued herd belonging to Peter Redecopp Wall from Nuevo Durango near Curraguaty, Paraguay, showing
the 47 cattle recovered (of 53). Wall’s
herd is based on the Nelore which are the standard beef cattle in Brazil and
Paraguay. Also pictured is Abraham Wall,
president of Nuevo Durango. Photo © and
courtesy of Pablo Medina of ABC Color.
 |
| Curruguaty Region (c) Wikipedia |
According to Wikipedia, the
Nelore arrived in Brazil in 1868 and the breed book was established in 1875,
just a year after the great Migration by Mennonites out of Russia to the New
World(s). Though, Wiki indicates that
Nelore did not become the dominant Zebu breed in Brazil until the 1960s. Prior to that, the Indo-Brazilian had
dominated. Today, breed profiles from
Oklahoma State University indicate that as there as many as 100,000,000 Nelore
cattle in Brazil or about 80% of the national herd.
For Mennonites in the Chaco,
and elsewhere, the Nelore represent resolution of numerous local challenges to
cattle production. Wiki indicates that
the breed is “hardy, heat-resistant,
thrive on poor-quality forage, and breeds easily, with the calves rarely
requiring human intervention to survive.”
They are the perfect fit for the hot, dry,
isolated Chaco. In fact, Nelore are
noted for their ability to adjust to about any environmental challenge apart
from the extreme cold.
Nelore have been adapted to
the Mennonite colonies of Belize as well – notably in the Blue Creek Mennonite
Colony / Community. Apparently, breeders
in the Cayo region have focused on developing a new strain resulting from the
cross breeding of Nelore with Black Angus.
B.
Roberson, wife of a Belize Nelore breeder John C. Roberson, describes the benefits of the breed as follows:
(c) University of Oklahoma “So what characteristics distinguish this breed? Smaller ears, relatively smaller bones (Note the smaller legs) , less dewlap flap, cleaner underline (less reproductive problems in pastured animals), hardy, long breeding life (normal for cows to be calving regularly past 16years of age: yes they start breeding young, too), metabolic efficiency, small calves at birth ( 55 to 60 pound calves, which can shock an unsuspecting rancher - petite, but rapid gainers. One of larger breeders here states he has not pulled a single Nelore calf in 17 years with the breed), and meat which is leaner and of exceptional high quality and palatability are just some of the virtues of Nelore,” (Belize Ag Report 2009, p 17).
 |
| (c) Aidan Cotter, Ireland, 2007. |
Roberson indicates that the
slaughterhouses in Belize are paying a 5₵ per pound premium for Nelore over
other beef breeds due to their higher dressing ratios ($1.15 to $1.20 per lb).
Beef production has shot
up in Latin America. Brazil currently
exports almost 4x as much beef as the United States and Argentina is expected
to catch up to Canada by 2015. This is
not including beef imports from Uruguay, Paraguay or Bolivia. In fact, Uruguayan specialty steakhouses, or churrascos, are now as ubiquitous to Europe
as Australia’s Outback™ is to United States suburbs.
Mennonite attendees of
the 2009 Mennonite World Conference were treated to a steak dinner donated by a
local Mennonite rancher. Even the
Mennonites from Montana (traditional American beef cattle growers since the
days of Teddy Roosevelt and the Cisco Kid) were impressed with the quality of
the meat.
On the other hand, this
growth in beef production has not come without cost. Just as the prairies of the United States,
Canada and Mexico were domesticated and settled for beef production, so too are
the veldts, wastes and grasslands of the Chaco, Brazil, Argentina and
Uruguay.
Mennonite colonies have increasingly come
under attack in the Chaco region for expanding their ranches into previously
undeveloped areas – especially in the British and East Coast United States press. While much of the criticism is seemingly
tourist-based and unscientific, it is a public relations and rural development
issue that promises to be closely monitored in the future.
It should be noted that
much of the criticized expansion in the Chaco has actually been by giant foreign
producers from Brazil, though the British and American press continue to see
Mennonite settlers as foreign – which is another issue the Russian Mennonite
diaspora will have to increasingly engage.
Also, reports indicate that there might be significant red herring
agendas in operation – big business vs. independent farmers, various competing
political motivations and even cattle export competition from the United States
and Britain – two of the biggest critics of the South American beef industry.
Regardless, the expansion
of the Mennonite cattle industry in the colonies of Latin America has
demonstrated the same survivability and dedication to responsible, informed
agricultural improvements for which
their Dutch-Prussian-Russian forebears were known. Whereas the Mennonites of Molotschna once
transformed agricultural practices on the steppes of Ukraine, and then
established new crops and varietals to the American prairies from Kansas to
Saskatchewan, they will do so in South America as well. One wonders if some of the traditional Mennonite-oriented
schools wouldn’t be wise to start investing back into rural development and
agronomy departments to both encourage and tap this continuing agrarian
expertise. It would be a great way to
maintain the Mennonite (and Amish and Hutterite) heritage while continuing to
promote responsible development and ecology through our global service
organizations.
B. Roberson: Nelore Cattle, Belize Ag Report, May 2009
An interesting article on the origins of domestic cattle in present-day Iran:
DNA Traces cattle back to a small herd in Iran
An interesting article on the origins of domestic cattle in present-day Iran:
DNA Traces cattle back to a small herd in Iran
No comments:
Post a Comment