Mirandesa

Did You Know?

• The Mirandesa is a dark red-brown in colour, with some darkening towards the extremities; cows are more variable in shade than bulls.
• Like the Arouquesa, the Mirandesa is related to the five Spanish breeds that make up the Morena Galega or Morenas del Noroeste group.

History

The Mirandesa is a traditional draught cattle breed from northeastern Portugal, specifically the Terra de Miranda region where the Mirandese language is spoken, centering on Miranda do Douro in the Bragança district of the Norte region. Several subtypes were recognized within the breed, including those from Bragança, the Beirao from Beira, the Mirandes Extremenho or Ratinho Serrano, and the Jarmelo. The Jarmelo was later split off as its own breed, the Jarmelista, in 2007.

Portugal’s first herd-book was established for the Mirandesa in 1959. During the 1960s and 1970s, the breed was widespread across most of Portugal, absent only from the former Minho province in the northwest and the Algarve in the south. Numbers dropped sharply in the late 20th century due to the introduction of more productive imported cattle and farm mechanization, which reduced the need for draught oxen. By the early 1990s, most remaining animals were again confined to the Terra de Miranda.

The FAO listed the breed as ‘not at risk’ in 2007. In 2020, DAD-IS reported a population of 305 bulls and an unspecified number of cows, and by 2023 the breed’s conservation status was listed as ‘at risk/vulnerable’. The larger Marinhoa cattle from the Aveiro district are mainly descended from the Mirandesa, possibly with some influence from the Minhota breed.