Belgian Blue, an Astonishing Beef Breed

The Belgian Blue is an astonishing beef breed. Well known in the developed world but almost unknown in Bangladesh, it has helped meet meat demand in Europe and America for about 70 years.

This huge Belgian breed has layer upon layer of muscle, no hump and a flat back, and strong legs. Weighing 800 to 1,200 kg, it might look like a wrestler, but it is very calm. Calves are born at 70 kg and gain almost a kilogram a day.

Farmer Geert of Avelgem said the breed, also called Belgian Blue or Black, weighs at least 600 kg at two years and 750 kg at three, reaching 1,000 to 1,200 kg. The name depends on coat colour: White Blue when white dominates, Blue Black when blue dominates.

Experts say an old Belgian breed was improved into the Belgian Blue in 1950 and spread to Europe and America from 1978. Robin Franzen, technical support at Belgium's Seed Lines, said the animals might look as if they were given antibiotics, but none are used; the trait comes from a mutation of the myostatin gene, and semen selection matters. He said artificial insemination expert Professor Hanset developed the breed around 1950 by crossbreeding an old Belgian breed about 200 years old, and it was introduced to America in 1978.

Ahead of Eid ul-Adha, Bangladesh has enough cattle and goats, but local cattle yield only 5 to 9 maunds of meat. The Belgian Blue could be added to the country's livestock rearing.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.