The Mertolenga is a Portuguese breed of cattle. It is named for the concelho of Mértola in south-eastern Alentejo, bordering Spain.? In 2003 it was one of thirteen registered Portuguese cattle breeds, constituting approximately 19 per cent of cattle in the country.
The origin of the Mertolenga is said to be as a color variant within the Alentejana cattle in south-eastern Portugal and is believed to have descended partly from the Spanish Berrenda en Colorado, having been identified as a separate breed in 1873. The breed is primarily found in the Low Alentejo and Ribatejo regions in southern Portugal.
The Mertolenga was originally used principally for drought work in the rice fields of Alentejo. It was also used to assist in moving and handling fighting cattle, in the same way that the Berrenda en Colorado is used in Spain. In the twenty-first century it is reared for beef, some of which is marketed as Carne Mertolenga, which has Denominação de Origem Protegida status.
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About Mertolenga Cattle
