"8 Million Won per Piece, Twice as Expensive as Gold"… Brazil Struggles with Thieves Stealing 'Igeot'

Brazil sees surge in cattle gallstone robberies
Imports through Hong Kong to China continue to rise
Kim Jong-un also sought after Chinese Uwhang Cheongsimhwan

Appearance of bovine gallstones, commonly used as herbal medicine ingredients such as Uwhang Cheongsimhwan. Amazon.com

Brazilian authorities are struggling to crack down on a series of cattle 'gallstone' robbery incidents that have occurred since the beginning of the year. The demand for cattle gallstones used to make Uwhang Cheongsimhwan, a traditional Chinese medicine from the Chinese-speaking regions, has surged, leading to continuous illegal slaughtering, theft, and robbery incidents at cattle farms. Most of the cattle gallstones imported into China through Hong Kong are currently priced at more than twice the international gold price, making it difficult to eradicate gallstone robberies within Brazil.

Brazil sees sharp rise in cattle gallstone robberies... "Illegal slaughter and theft at farms"

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According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), armed gangs have recently been breaking into farms in the southern Barretos region of Brazil to illegally slaughter cattle and steal gallstones. In September last year, a group attempting to smuggle $3 million worth of cattle gallstones from neighboring Uruguay to Hong Kong without reporting to authorities was arrested.

Cattle gallstones originally form in the gallbladders of ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, and antelopes due to gallbladder diseases. It is similar to gallstones in humans. While cattle gallstones were previously discarded in South America, prices have skyrocketed recently as Chinese brokers have been stockpiling them. Currently, cattle gallstones in South America are traded at $5,000 to $6,000 (approximately 7.19 million to 8.63 million KRW) per ounce (about 28g). Considering the international gold price is around $2,700 per ounce, this is more than twice as expensive as gold.

Chinese brokers collect cattle gallstones, known as 'Niu Huang' (牛黃), because they can be used as important medicinal ingredients. Cattle gallstones are the main ingredient in Uwhang Cheongsimhwan, a cardiovascular medicine used in Asian countries such as China and Korea. Due to the recent surge in demand for Niu Huang, domestic production in China has been insufficient, leading to a significant increase in imports from South America through Hong Kong to mainland China.

Hong Kong's imports of cattle gallstones increased nearly threefold from $75.5 million in 2019 to $218.4 million in 2023. By country, Brazil accounted for more than 60% of the total cattle gallstone imports, with the remainder coming from Australia, Colombia, Argentina, and others.

Kim Jong-un also interested in 'Uwhang Cheongsimhwan'... visited Chinese factory in 2019

In January 2019, Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, visited Beijing, China, and toured the Dongindang factory, China's largest herbal medicine manufacturer, famous for Uwhang Cheongsimhwan. Photo by Yonhap News

The main reason for the increase in China's cattle gallstone imports is analyzed to be the rapid rise in adult diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes due to rising income levels. In China, 178 people per 100,000 die from strokes annually, which is about three times higher than in the United States. The number of cardiovascular disease patients in China also increased by about 100 million, from 230 million in 2007 to 330 million in 2023.

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, who is known to have cardiovascular disease, is also interested in China's Uwhang Cheongsimhwan. During his state visit to Beijing in January 2019, after completing his diplomatic schedule and before returning to North Korea, Kim visited the Dongin Pharmaceutical factory, the largest Uwhang Cheongsimhwan manufacturer in China. In North Korea, Uwhang Cheongsimhwan gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as it was believed to be effective in treating COVID-19.

These cattle gallstones are known to naturally form in about one out of every 100 cattle. Many South American farmers use various tricks, such as feeding excessive amounts of sugarcane to cattle to artificially induce gallstone formation, but the exact process of how cattle gallstones are formed has not yet been clarified.