A cow of the famous Matsusaka wagyu breed has fetched a whopping price of 30.04 million yen (S$271,000) at an auction in Japan.

This was the highest amount paid in eight years, the NHK reported.

The auction was part of a contest that took place on Nov 26 in Matsusaka city in the central prefecture of Mie.

The 676kg cow was crowned “Queen of Matsusaka” before being sold at the auction. The animal was bought by Asahiya Corp, a meat wholesaler and retailer in the prefectural capital of Tsu.

The winning cow was among 50 entrants at the competition. They were rated by a panel of nine judges who evaluated them based on size, coat and overall physical balance.

The cow was raised by farmer Kazuaki Nakamura. The 47-year-old told the media that he was “totally surprised” by the outcome but happy.

Mr Nakamura said his winning cow is “quiet” and “very healthy”.

“I fed her based on observations of her physical condition, and talked to her while brushing her,” The Mainichi newspaper quoted him as saying.

This was Mr Nakamura’s second win since 2018, the paper reported.

Asahiya said it will hold a “famous cattle festival” beginning on Dec 14. It will start selling meat from the winning cow from around Dec 21.

Matsusaka City is famous for its premium marbled beef. The city’s cattle show is an annual event that is held in November, according to the website Wagyu Authentic.

The Matsusaka Beef Contest features 50 premium Matsusaka cattle and the auction of the “queen” cow and other winning cattle is usually held after the contest.