Ongole village of Andhra Pradesh came into the headlines when a cow from this village was sold in a Brazilian market for Rs 41 crore.
This Ongole breed cow is known as Viatina-19 in Brazil. In February 2025, it was sold as the world’s most expensive cow in an auction in Brazil. The residents of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, especially the people of Karavad, have expressed happiness over getting such a high price for the cow.
They say that they are proud of this Indian breed of cow, Ongole.
Karavad village is about 12 km from Ongole, the headquarters of Prakasam district.
Polavarapu Chenchuramaiya of this village sold this Ongole breed cow and a bull to a man from Brazil in 1960.
Chenchuramaiya is happy that his cow has been sold at such a high price in the international market.
Polavarapu Venkatramaiah is the former Sarpanch of the village. He says that because of a cow, the name of our state and country is becoming famous far and wide.
Dr. Chunchu Chelamaya, who has done research on the Ongole breed, told the BBC, “A man named Teiko bought a bull from Polavarapu Hanuman for sixty thousand rupees and took it to Brazil. He preserved its semen. It is still with the people of Brazil.”
88-year-old Chelamaya said, “I have also seen that bull. It had secured the first position in the cattle fair held in Delhi. Then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had also congratulated it. That is why the Brazilians had bought it.”
Dr. Muttharao, the chief scientist of Lam Farm, says that there are four lakh animals of the Ongole breed in Andhra Pradesh.
Out of a total of 22 crore animals in Brazil, 80 percent are of the Ongole cattle breed.