The cow at the center of attention weighs over 1,000 kilograms, the Heongseong Livestock Industry Cooperative said on Monday after speaking to 64-year-old farmer Choi Hee-ja, who is also the owner of the super cow. (Image: Choi Hee-ja)
GANGWON PROVINCE, June 20 (Korea Bizwire) – A super cow in Hoengseon, Gangwon Province, a popular area for Korean cattle, is drawing nationwide attention for its extraordinary build.
The cow at the center of attention weighs over 1,000 kilograms, the Heongseong Livestock Industry Cooperative said on Monday after speaking to 64-year-old farmer Choi Hee-ja, who is also the owner of the super cow.
On average, even those considered super Hanwoo, meaning Korean cattle, weigh between 800 to 900 kilograms, making the cow in question an extreme rarity.
The super cow is now on the market after giving birth to two calves back in 2013, during which joint degeneration occurred, making further breeding impossible.
The dressed weight of the super cow was 616 kilograms, 160 percent heavier than the average weight of suckler cows approved by the Hoengseong Livestock Industry Cooperative.
As the cooperative describes the physical status of the super cow as perfect, Choi, who raised the cow, said, “Continuous efforts to improve livestock production since 2007 have finally come to fruition.”
The Hoengseong Livestock Industry Cooperative has extracted the cow’s ovaries in an effort to breed more super cattle before Choi’s cow is slaughtered, which could help supply super cow breeds to other farms if fertilized successfully.
The head of the cooperative is hopeful the proliferation of super cow breeds could become an advantage amid growing competition in the market from foreign livestock producers.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
