Tuli cattle descend from the African Sange breed that evolved thousands of years ago, in particular the Tswana breed. When Bantu Tribesmen migrated down the continent, they took the Sanga cattle with them. Eventually, these cattle dispersed throughout Eastern and Southern Africa. The term ‘Tuli' is derived from the Ndebele word ‘utulili'- which translates to dust. It is a fitting title as it represents the harsh environment in which Tuli cattle evolved.
South African breeder Len Harvey is credited with having largely contributed to the development of the Tuli breed. In the 1940's, Harvey selected cattle that exhibited health, fertility and hardiness to develop his herd. His success paved the way for the establishment of a government breeding program soon after. By 1948, Harvey's Tuli cattle were enjoying great success in block shows throughout Southern Africa.
In 1990, the CSIRO and the Boran and Tuli Consortium first introduced Tuli cattle into Australia via embryo transfer. The journey actually began in 1988 when embryos were selected in Zimbabwe. The chosen embryos were then sent to the Coco Islands, where they were implanted into Australian stock there. This particular breeding program saw the birth of 74 calves, which were cleared for transportation one and half years after the program began.
Tuli are medium-sized cattle, whose short-haired coats can range between red, white and yellow. Both horned and polled strains do exist. The breed is known for its quality beef, high fertility, early maturity, calving ease, mothering instincts, climatic adaptability and hybrid vigour. They recognised for being extremely disease resistant. Their beef is known to be well-marbled, flavoursome and tender.
Today, Tuli cattle are bred in South Africa, Australia and the United States. They have been exported to Mexico and Argentina.
