By Lloyd Phillips
Any one of Southern Africa’s formal societies or associations for cattle with Zebu heritage, for example the Brahman and Boran breeds, who are interested in becoming a partner or member of the International Federation of Zebu Breeders (Ficebu) have been urged to “jump on”.
Juan Manuel Conde of Mexico was inducted as Ficebu’s newest president at the ExpoZebu 2025 cattle exhibition held recently in Brazil’s Uberaba district.
Speaking to African Farming immediately afterwards, Conde highlighted how relationships, exchanges of Zebu genetics and knowledge-sharing all present great opportunities for Southern Africa.
Examples he gave included potentially further improving Southern Africa’s existing pure and composite breeds of Zebu heritage, potentially creating new composite breeds by crossing the genetics of certain Zebu breeds with the Bos taurus breeds already in Southern Africa, and even conducting Southern African trials with other pure Zebu breeds not yet present or not yet bred on any significant scale in this region.
Brazil is expecting to soon be declared foot-and-mouth disease-free without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Conde and others hope soon thereafter the South African government will again permit imports of the world-leading Zebu genetics that have been, and continue to be, developed by Brazil and, for that matter, by other Latin American countries.
Watch our video interview with Conde to learn more about his vision for and about his invitation to Southern Africa.
More to watch and read:
WATCH | Get to know the modern dual-purpose Brazilian Guzerá cattle breed
ExpoZebu 2025 | ‘Prizefighters’ get weighed in before competition starts
