WAGYU EDGE CONFERENCE & INTERNATIONAL TOUR

Australia, 3-17 April 2024

The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) WagyuEdge Conference took place in the city of Cairns Weds 10th - Fri 12th April. Exceeding all expectations, the event comprised keynote speakers, a Wagyu Elite genetics sale as well as the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition awards evening and a Black-tie Gala Dinner. Headline conference figures were: 650 delegates, 25 speakers, 12 countries - including UK representation from the British Wagyu Association, Wyndford Wagyu & Warrendale Wagyu.

British representatives included L-R Jim Bloom (Warrendale) with Philip Maddocks, Jess Edwards and Bay Maddocks (Wyndford)

Our generous hosts, the AWA, also put together a wrap-around tour for a dozen international delegates who were able to visit a wide range of industry-leading breeders, feedlots and processors - and were treated to some great Aussie hospitality in the process!

Wednesday, 3 April – Stone Axe Pastoral & Braelea Pastoral, New South Wales

Typical New England country - here pictured at Stone Axe

Situated in the aptly-named New England area to the west of Armidale, this is great cattle country due to its relatively high annual rainfall and elevation (1,000m above sea level). Ground is fertile and dotted with patches of trees (for shade) which have typically been left in place following the re-working and re-seeding of the land - through blade ploughing - to boost pasture productivity.

L-R Ray Thomas (Santos Patronos Ranch), Martin Fullagar (Stone Axe), Richard Saunders (British Wagyu) and Ray Thomas Jnr (Santos Patronos)

Stone Axe Pastoral in Glen Alvie, NSW is run by Martin Fullagar and is one of four Stone Axe properties, and one of the largest vertically integrated crossbred, purebred and Fullblood Wagyu enterprises in Australia. At this site we saw a breeding and feedlot enterprise with 2,000 Fullblood breeding females set on 6,000 acres. Stone Axe employs 8 staff and processes 140 Fullbloods and 300 crossbreds per month with animals entering the feedlot system at around 380kg. They are looking to double these numbers in the next year or so. Using fixed-timed synchro AI backed up by natural service, Stone Axe also markets around 100 Fullblood bulls annually. Beef is marketed to domestic and export markets through their Stone Axe, Margaret River and Cobungra Station brands. Stone Axe were Australia’s first ever back-to-back winners of the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition (2020 & 2021) with numerous other titles in both this event as well as in the World Steak Challenge.

Braelea Pastoral markets their Wagyu beef through the Cloverlea brand. A family business run by Andrew & Sammy Braund with their two children Cody & Charlotte, they sell 4,000 head of mainly F1 cattle per year all into the export markets of EU, China and Middle East from their holding of 1,600 acres (owned) and 1200 acres rented. The Braunds also successfully market Wagyu seedstock, semen and embryo sales alongside their natural grassfed beef which is situated on the Waterfall Way near Ebor.

L-R Matt McDonagh (AWA), Andrew Braund, Richard Saunders, Ray Thomas Jnr

Thursday, 4 April - Rangers Valley, Glen Innes & Trent Bridge Wagyu, Aberfoyle, New South Wales

At Rangers Valley: L-R Ray Thomas, Matt McDonagh, Ray Thomas Jnr

At what is probably the highest altitude feedlot in Australia (980m) situated in the New England Tablelands, Rangers Valley MD Keith Howe led a tour of this 40,000 head operation; there is a further 15,000 cattle in Queensland (60,000 head total on-feed). Owned by the Japanese Marubeni Corporation, the cattle run are mostly 50-50 Wagyu and Angus, with a small proportion of Fullbloods with Wagyu beef marketed under the Infinite and WX brands for Fullblood and crossbreds respectively. Animals come in at around 12 months of age from ‘backgrounding’ or growing farms and do around 400 days on feed with growth rates of circa 1kg per day in order to achieve a balance between growth and marbling. Rangers Valley use the MEQ Live camera for live carcase assessment to measure back fat, marbling and rib eye area and to aid their feedlot selection process. F1s are slaughtered at around 25 months with Fullbloods taking 6-8 months longer – both aiming for a 450kg carcase. Beef is sold to 50 markets worldwide with the product differentiated according to marble score. Animals are fed a typical ration of steamed barley and wheat, maize silage, straw plus minerals/molasses.

With Rangers Valley MD Keith Howe far right

Trent Bridge, which follows a cricketing theme given the neighboring property is called Lords, is run by former AWA President Charlie Perry together with his wife Georgia, and his parents Wal & Jen.

L-R Wal Perry, Richard Saunders, Ray Thomas and Ray Thomas Jnr, Jen Perry, Charlie Perry

Established around 20 years ago, this is a largely Fullblood operation breeding elite genetics on a 6,000 acre holding. Comprising 800 Fullblood breeding cows with an additional 300 heifers, females are ‘joined’ at 15 months to calve down at two years of age. There are a further 800 F1 Wagyu x Angus females. The Trent Bridge Fullblood programme aims to breed high-marbling bulls to sell to F1 producers as well as replacement females with strong maternal traits like milk and low birthweight (under 35kg). In September 2023 they held their largest and to date most successful on-farm bull sale with 180 bulls going under the hammer at an average of around $AUD20,000 (£10,000) per head.

At Trent Bridge with L-R Matt McDonagh, Charlie Perry, Ray Thomas & Ray Thomas Jnr

Friday, 5 April – AWA Office, Armidale, New South Wales

Pictured with the AWA Team at their office in Armidale, NSW

This was a great opportunity to meet and greet the staff of AWA with whom the BWA has a partnership agreement to access services including Fullblood registrations, performance recording and use of the MIJ carcase camera. The AWA processes 40,000 Fullblood registrations annually on behalf of 700 Australian and 500 international members, Wagyu being now second only to Angus in Australia. With a staff of 16 and a turnover of around AUD$8 Million (£4 Million), the Australian Wagyu beef export market is valued at an estimated AUD$2 Billion (£1 Billion).

Saturday, 6 April 2024 Mayura Station, Mt Gambier, Millicent, South Australia

International visitors pictured at Mayura

Former AWA President, Scott de Bruin, runs what was the first settled station in South Australia covering 11,500 acres of owned and rented land. Mayura is a vertically integrated all-Fullblood Wagyu business with the majority of feed grown on-farm. There are around 2,500 head on feed at any one time from weaning (5-6 months) to finishing (aged 24-26 months) with a monthly kill of around 240 head at 450kg deadweight. Wagyu beef is sold under the Mayura & Limestone Ridge brands with an average marble score of 10.5 and 7 respectively. Mayura has a renowned Fullblood breeding programme using AI sires including Itoshigenami Jnr, Coates Itoshigenami G113, Mayura Quantum Q0141, Arubial United P0342, Trent Bridge J77, Mayura Notorious N0387, R0152 Renegade and Yasukane 5. Calving is twice a year, spring and autumn, with around 450-500 heifers kept as replacements with a further 100 embryo calves born each year to Angus recipients.

International guests were then treated to the unique spectacle of the Mayura Tasting Room with dishes including home-cured bresaola, soy Wagyu jerky, cherry-smoked eye fillet and the Wagyu Lounge selection of ribeye, sirloin and tomahawk steak. The Mayura Tasting Room is one of the most awarded steakhouses in Australia.

Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 April – AWA WagyuEdge Conference, Cairns, Queensland

Hosted by the Australian Wagyu Association, the three-day event involved keynote presentations, workshops and Q&A panels. The WagyuEdge Conference delivered as a leading international forum for the global Wagyu sector to meet, find new partners, discuss challenges, and share research, technology and best practice. More than 590 Australian attendees were joined by an international contingent of Wagyu breeders from 12 different countries.

The full conference programme is available on www.wagyu.org.au

Conference Session One – Challenges to a New Age for Wagyu

Speakers Dr Tim Ault (DFAT), Simon Quilty (Global Agritrends) and Dave Harris (AACo) reflected on Wagyu’s position in the changing trade environment for Australian agricultural products and global trends in protein markets.

MAYURA STATION WINS GRAND CHAMPION AT 2024 WBBC

At the end of Day One at Fogarty Park in Cairns, Mayura Station became the first producer to be crowned Grand Champion three times at the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition (WBBC) with a Fullblood Wagyu entry from their Signature Series steaks.

Mayura Station accept their Grand Champion accolades. L-R Andy Allen (WBBC Awards MC, Masterchef Australia host and owner of Three Blue Ducks), Terry Donohue (Ariat Australia), Scott & Kristy de Bruin (Mayura Station), Mark Oliver (Mayura Station) and Dr Matt McDonagh (AWA CEO)

Having previously won Grand Champion twice with their entries in the 2019 and 2022, Mayura Station, based on South Australia’s Limestone Coast, cemented their place in the annals of Australian Wagyu fame. Their Signature Series steak entry scored 1128 points, with the judges remarking it had an “exceptional melt in your mouth juiciness, with lasting umami flavours and a satisfying silky mouthfeel.” Bred by Mayura themselves, this entry contained 60% marbling with a marbling fineness score of 8 and an astonishing eye muscle area of 154cm2, which blew the competition out of the water with its highest in competition unsaturated fatty acid level of 65% of total fatty acids.

This year the WBBC saw a total of 66 entries judged by 36 renowned food and beef industry experts from around Australia. Five classes were awarded on the night:

· Class 1: Fullblood Wagyu

Class 2: Purebred Wagyu
Class 3: Open Crossbred
Class 4: Open F1 Wagyu
Class 5: Commercial Wagyu Marble Score 5-7

Entries are scored for their visual appeal when raw and cooked, juiciness, flavour, aroma and physical mouth sensation. The WBBC is designed to promote the excellence and advancement of Australian Wagyu beef, which is naturally nutritious and of exceptional quality, on a national and international stage.

Reserve Champion was awarded to Andrews Meat Industries’ Shiro Kin steak, also from the Class 1 category of Fullblood Wagyu, which scored 1120.8 points and was described by judges as creating a “melting, creamy caramel mouthfeel with rich and beefy aromas.” Bred by 3D Genetics, this entry contained the highest marbling percentage of all entries at 71%, with a marbling fineness score of 8.7 and marbling score of 9+, with an eye muscle area of 105cm2.

Conference Session Two – Changing Face of Australian Beef Production

Speaker Troy Setter (Consolidated Pastoral Company) shared how and why they introduced Wagyu into their major cattle operation; and David Foote (Cattle Australia) discussed why the Wagyu Sector needs an industry-level representation as a strategic priority.

Conference Session Three – World Wide Wagyu

When Wagyu genetics were exported in the 1990s, a global Wagyu market was created, along with trade in Wagyu genetics and partnerships that now span the world. Speakers Dave Dreiling (Booth Creek Wagyu, USA), John Hourigan (Ridgeway Wagyu, Ireland) and Richard Saunders (British Wagyu Association) gave an overview of the development of Wagyu in these key markets as well as the opportunities and challenges at play.

Conference Session Four – Advances in Rumen Methane Management and Wagyu

Session speakers were Dr Fran Cowley (University of New England), Prof Richard Eckard (Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, University of Melbourne) and Bobby Miller (Founder, Ruminati). Given carbon and methane are a natural part of ruminant grazing systems, delegates heard from key policy, science and thought leaders on advances in methane mitigation technologies and how these may relate to Wagyu.

Conference Session Five – Accelerating the Breed with Artificial Breeding and Carcase Technologies

The Wagyu Sector is at the forefront of technology adoption in all productivity and quality improvement aspects. This session explored recent advances in artificial breeding technologies and new solutions for improving carcase prediction outcomes. Speakers Jordan Yeomans (MEQ Carcase Camera), Sophia Edwards (Nybro) & Lisa Rumsfeld (Vytelle)

ELITE SALE TOPS AT AUD$130,000

Hemingway’s Brewery - venue for the Elite Sale

Held at the end of Day Two at Hemingway’s Brewery in Cairns, the 2024 Elite Wagyu Sale was topped at $130,000 for Mayura Station’s rising two-year-old heifer, ADBF22T1474A, when going under the hammer to the Thomas Family of Santos Patronos Ranch, Seguin, Texas. Commenting, Ray Thomas said: "We are thrilled to have acquired Mayura T1474, daughter of Quantum and Mayura Q0140, at AWA's 2024 Elite Sale in Cairns. This exciting heifer is expected to advance the breed to a whole new level." Bulls sold to a high of $50k for Lot 16, a Mayura L10 out of a Mr Awesome cow, from Door Key Wagyu to Arubial Wagyu.

Wyndford Wagyu sold four embryos (Wyndford Spartacus x Wyndford Boni) at $1,500 apiece. Overall, 52 lots grossed $1,399,900 (£726,408).

Averages:

14 Bulls $24,571

15 Females $42,333

8 Embryos $9,687/embryo

15 Semen lots $2,740/straw

Full sale report/results via Auctioneers Ray White www.raywhitedalby.com

Conference Session Six – Developing Global Demand with a long-term Focus

Day three saw session speakers Gerard Hickey (First Light Farms, NZ) & Fearn Cholerton (Kilcoy Global Foods), both leading global Wagyu brands, share their insights and stories on developing and maintaining product demand with a long-term focus.

Conference Session Seven – Market & Consumer Dynamics

Session speakers were Doug McNichol (North America MLA), Maeve Webster (Menu Matters) and Angus Gidley-Baird (Rabo Research). As the world’s largest exporter of Wagyu beef, we heard about the perception of the Australian product in key overseas markets alongside about global beef herd and market dynamics.

Conference Session 8 – Future Breed Leaders

Session speakers Jessie Chiconi (Ausgyu Wagyu) and Reid Smith (Wilders Wagyu) are some of the breed’s future leaders, who have each trodden a different path in their Wagyu career. Here, they provided their vision of the future and an insight into the next generation of Wagyu leaders.

Held at the close of Day Three, the Wagyu Industry Gala Dinner was a night of celebration as delegates came together for a tremendous four-course dinner featuring special Wagyu cuts supplied by the 2023 Wagyu Branded Beef Grand Champion, Kilcoy Global Foods and 2023 Purebred Wagyu Class Champion, Jacks Creek.

David Blackmore’s induction into the AWA Wagyu Hall of Fame

That evening, Mr David Blackmore was inducted into the AWA Hall of Fame, and the audience heard how the 74-year-old David had been on farms his whole life. “My grandfather gave me my first cow when I was 10, so it’s been a long career in farming.” In 1979, David ran the first on-farm embryo transfer program in Australia, Master Breed, which became a big part of his business and eventually took him abroad to the US. Specifically, Texas’ A&M University where, in 1988, David got his first look at Wagyu cattle via Don Lively and Fred Hildebrand’s Purebred herds.

“I told Don I couldn’t promote such an ugly looking breed, and he responded with ‘They look like money to me, son’”.

Over the next four years, David imported American Purebred embryos from Don into Australia. Then along came Mr Shogo Takeda and his new, Japanese genetics from twice as many cattle as everyone else who had exported to the US. Mr Takeda requested David do business exclusively with him, so David sold all his American Purebred cattle and never looked back, forming Blackmore Wagyu in 1990. For the full story, please click HERE.

Monday, 15 April – Australian Country Choice, Brisbane & Macquarie Wagyu, Queensland

International visit to ACC with hosts Tony Laurent (left) and Christian Coffey (right)

Family-owned and operated, ACC is Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef business encompassing everything from cattle breeding, backgrounding and lot feeding to beef primary processing, retail packing, distribution plus domestic and international marketing and sales. Employing 1,100 staff over a number of breeding, backgrounding and feedlot operations, ACC made the move to Wagyu in 2017 away from British-bred and bos indicus genetics. With 3,000 Fullblood Wagyu cows plus 12,000 crossbred (Wagyu x Angus) dams, they are undertaking a large-scale AI and embryo programme to replicate elite genetics quickly. At their processing site near Brisbane, the company handles 350,000 cattle per year on behalf of many of Australia’s leading Wagyu brands.

ACC’s processing facility on the outskirts of Brisbane

Owned by a Japanese family, Macquarie Wagyu is run by Anthony & Chantal Winter and began Wagyu production in 2005. The 17,000 acre property, of which 14,000 is grazing, began Wagyu production in 2005 and has grown to over 700 Fullblood Wagyu cows. Calves are left on cows up to 5-9 months at around 220-250kg (at 9 months) then onto backgrounding until 19 months at 350-360kg before doing around 400-500 days on feed prior to slaughter at 24-36 months. They feed a typical ration of straw, wheat, barley, sorghum and cotton seed.

Anthony & Chantal Winter host international delegates at Macquarie

The feedlot capacity is 3,800 head with 8 full-time staff. Carcases with a marble score 8 and above are marketed worldwide under their own Macquarie brand. Macquarie Wagyu is also a renowned seedstock producer and home to the noted bull Coates Itoshigenami G113 who we were delighted to meet first hand!

Tuesday, 16 April - Sandalwood Feedlot, Irvingdale & Arubial Wagyu, Condamine, Queensland

Pictured with hosts Geoff Cornford & Becky O’Reilly at Sandalwood

Owned by Korean company, Lotte International, day-to-day running of the Sandalwood feedlot is in the hands of Geoff Cornford & Becky O’Reilly. Of the 16,000 head around half are owned and half custom-fed for clients like Coles, Woolworths and Stone Axe. Much is destined for export markets mainly in Asia and the Middle East under Lotte’s L’grow Wagyu marque. Animals come in at a minimum 350kg and remain on feed for 350-400 days with a DLWG of upwards of 1kg. Typical ration is wheat and barley, straw, hay, maize silage, steam flaked sorghum, cotton seed, soy meal and molasses with the finishing ration a higher energy, lower protein mix.

Arubial Wagyu is run by fourth-generation grazier, and current AWA President, Laird Morgan together with his wife Sonia who have been building their 3,500-strong Fullblood Wagyu herd since 2015.

Data measurement, recording and reporting are key to giving their customers the tools they need to make informed breeding decisions with a focus on maternal traits, fertility and marbling. They also run a Progeny Test Programme comprising 500 females. Two of their keystone sires are Arubial Bond (by Mayura Itoshigenami Jnr) and Arubial United (by Sumo Cattle Co Michifuku F126). The 28,000 acres are set across five properties in the Western Darling Downs region of Queensland with their Lillyvale Feedlot originally built 50 years ago to house 1,500 head – it has since expanded to reach 35,000.

Laird Morgan (centre) shows visitors around

Arubial means ‘deep expanse of water’ in Aboriginal language

Wednesday, 17 April ACC (Australian Country Choice) Roma Properties

Hosted by Senior Breeding Manager, Ryan Carter, Roma is home to ACC’s Fullblood Wagyu operation in Queensland’s Durham Downs region with 1,800 Fullblood dams plus an additional 3,000 embryo calves born each year. Following one round of AI, cows are put to the bull for two cycles with the majority of weanlings heading off mum to the feedlot at around 140-150kg where they aim to achieve a moderate 0.9kg dlwg in order to grow frame and avoid too much back fat, eventually reaching 450dwkg at 30-32 months.

There is a big drive for genetic improvement in the herd with the selection of genetically superior cattle achieved through ACC’s vertically integrated supply chain to record data using the latest software and hardware technology.

With ACC’s Ryan Carter (centre front) at Roma

Grateful thanks are extended to the AWA President Laird Morgan and his Board, to AWA CEO Matt McDonagh and his team as well as to all our hosts for an unforgettable conference and trip. The next AWA WagyuEdge Conference takes place in Perth, Western Australia 9-11 April 2025