Elders Wagyu has a powerful network of over 200 branches across Australia, with Wagyu connections from global corporate producers to the very best elite breeders.
Our network is headed up by James Matts who has a substantial history in stud stock, genetics and intensive agriculture spanning over 25 years in Australia. His dedication and passion for Wagyu is second to none, having successfully negotiated record sales results at auction and in the paddock.
It is a great honour to have been re-elected as President of the Australian Wagyu Association for the 2022 – 2023 period, I sincerely appreciate the continued support of the Board.
I’d like to thank the outgoing board members who have made a significant contribution to the AWA during their tenure –Selwyn Maller and John Spreadborough. I would also like to congratulate Gina Lincoln on being re-elected, and welcome new director Adam Withers to the board. I sincerely believe that the current Board of Directors have an excellent set of diverse skills, and we are well positioned to oversee the company for the next 12 months. With eight of the nine board members having served for at least 12 months, we have a significant understanding of the company and its goals.
On Tuesday 23 November the AWA Annual General Meeting was held at the Brisbane Airport Conference Centre. I would like to thank the membership for their overwhelming support for the proposed changes to the AWA constitution. This marks the conclusion of 18 months of work which commenced with the engagement of Mr Philip Pogson to complete a review on the AWA governance environment. Ongoing assessment of governance systems and processes is important in maintaining best-practice function and culture, and I am pleased to report all of the Pogson recommendations have now been enacted.
On the same day, we held a technical workshop with several speakers on a range of topics including the development of crush-side sequencing, the new Immune Ready vaccination program, Wagyu MSA model and the use of Mate S el in making breeding decisions. Thank you to all those who presented and specifically Rangers Valley for their generous donation of meat for our dinner.
The collaborative Crossbreed Genomic Screening Project with CSIRO and Neogen has received additional government funding to continue the development of the tool. Phase one testing has been completed, and the preliminary results look very promising. This project will enable commercial screening of crossbreed feeder cattle for carcase performance prior to feedlot entry and I am optimistic that it will make a substantial contribution to improving the profitability and sustainability of crossbred Wagyu production.
Over the past six months the AWA board and staff have been involved in two workshops to review and reset the
strategic direction of the company. In July, Ernest and Young were engaged to facilitate the development of a ten-year roadmap, which will provide a clear pathway to progress the Wagyu sector. In August, Tiny Hunter lead a Brand Strategy workshop to align the companies messaging and communications with our ten-year roadmap. Both workshops were critical for the Board and Executive to ensure we have a shared clarity over our long term goals.
The Progeny Test Program is an ambitious and large project, and I am pleased to report that to date, it is tracking on schedule. We now have nearly 700 calves on the ground from the joinings in cohort one and are starting to see registrations and data come through the system. Sire nominations for Cohort Three have recently closed. The project is open to all members. If you have a question about the program, contact the AWA office.
Block out your Calendar
WagyuEdge'23 Conference will be held 19 to 21 April in Sydney NSW, with a post-conference regional NSW tour (22 to 24 April).
As we draw to a close on another year of tremendous climate volatility, I hope wherever you are, that you have managed to navigate this season without significant disruption.
I would like to thank you all for your continued membership and support of the AWA and I look forward to seeing you at our WagyuEdge'23 Conference in Sydney next April. The event is shaping up to be our biggest and best conference yet.
Finally, a most sincere thanks to all the AWA staff for continuing to deliver an excellent service for the membership and industry.
Charlie Perry AWA President
We welcome all our Australian and International mates to the WagyuEdge'23 Conference, to be held in Sydney NSW Australia from 19 to 21 April 2023. A full three days is planned for the conference, starting with an AWA member technical update in the morning of 19 April, with the formal Conference sessions starting after lunch that day. A three-day postconference tour through NSW wine and Wagyu regions is also planned for 22 to 24 April.
The 2023 conference program will focus on addressing the challenges of the future, with a line-up of exceptional speakers including Ms Diana Rogers (the Sustainable Dish), a powerful advocate for the role of ‘real food’ in feeding the World.
The threat of exotic diseases to our high-value export oriented industry will be addressed by Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO, the Secretary of the Federal Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry. Andrew will also present on how Australia is responding to ever changing emergency animal disease risks.
We will combine our welcome function with the 2023 Wagyu Branded Beef Competition BBQ and Awards night on the evening of April 19, allowing our leading brands to showcase their product for the breeders who supply them with the best Wagyu on Earth.
The Elite Wagyu Sale will be held on-board a three-level luxury yacht during the evening of 20 April. Guests will be able to dine and enjoy cocktails whilst cruising the famous Sydney Harbour during the live Auction event.
The conference activities will conclude with a Wagyu Industry Dinner which will be a true celebration of the global Wagyu Sector on Friday 21 April. We'll be joined by a professional compare for an evening of pure Wagyu indulgence celebrating our 2023 Wagyu Hall of Fame recipient and acknowledge our 25 year members.
We have already received conference registrations from a number of Australian and International members. We look forward to welcoming you all to what will be our biggest and best conference yet.
The 33rd Annual General Meeting of the Australian Wagyu Association was held 15 November 2022 at the Brisbane Airport Convention Centre. The meeting was well attended by members in the room and those online.
The 2022 AWA Annual Report noted total membership numbers increased to 1027 with 900 full members. All aspects of member service business activity were increased during the 2022 financial year, with turnover up 43% on the prior year and moderate net surplus of $220,856 retained to build AWA’s net asset position.
In addition to delivery on core member services, the meeting reviewed the significant progress in AWA funded R&D projects that has resulted in improved BREEDPLAN genetic analysis delivered for Wagyu, crossbred data now being included within Wagyu BREEPLAN and the development of a commercial Crossbred Wagyu genomic prediction program with CSIRO.
Members approved the General Resolutions to adopt the prior year AGM minutes, to accept the Financial Report and appoint Forsyths as the auditor for next year.
Additionally, all Special Resolutions were approved by Members, adopting proposed changes to the AWA Constitution in response to the 2021 Pogson Report on AWA Governance. As communicated during 2022, the AWA Board accepted all 16 recommendations made by Mr Pogson.
The support from the AWA membership was a strong endorsement for change to take the AWA forward as a bestpractice governance organisation.
As a final point of business at the 2022 AGM, the AWA farewelled two long-serving Directors, Mr Selwyn Maller and Mr John Spreadborough. Mr Adam Withers (Pinnacle Fine Foods) was welcomed onto the Board as a new Director appointment, along with returning Director Ms Gina Lincoln. Following the AWA Constitution changes approved at the 2022 AGM, this made the AWA Board of Directors nine in total.
REGISTER �� wagyu.org.au /sales-events/wagyuedge
The first Board meeting following the election of the new Board for the 2022 Annual General Meeting, was held 16 November. The Officers and Directors of the Board for 2023 are:
Mr Charlie Perry President and Chair of the Board
Mr Laird Morgan Senior Vice President
Ms Robyn Elphick Junior Vice President
Mr Scott de Bruin Treasurer
Ms Gina Lincoln
Mr Dean Pollard
Mr Richard Puddicombe
Mr Adam Withers
Mr Glen Wright
The AWA Board sub-committee structure and composition was finalised, see the Committee representation of each AWA Board member at:
�� wagyu.org.au /about-us
The Board reviewed the following items:
1. AWA Board Governance Induction – including review of the AWA Governance Charter and Code of Conduct
2. Company operational performance against KPIs for the first quarter FY2023 was reviewed, with progress to date satisfactory against all key work areas.
3. First quarter FY2023 financial performance was reviewed, noting satisfactory operation against budget year to date.
4. The Board conducted its annual full review of the AWA corporate risk control plan and proposed actions to mitigate significant risks, approving changes to the AWA risk control matrix noting the significant growth in the AWA over the prior 5 years. Critical and high rated risks are reviewed quarterly.
5. The meeting reviewed the current AWA term deposits and low returns from AWA investment portfolio. A recommendation was approved to increase fixed-term investments.
6. The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the Phase one CSIRO Crossbred Wagyu genomic prediction project and approved commencement of Phase two of the project to deliver the genetic test for commercialisation.
7. The AWA ten-year roadmap strategic document was approved by the meeting, noting the recommendation from the 2021 Pogson Report for the AWA to develop a ten-year roadmap.
8. The Board approved the Expression of Interest process, which will seek feedlot and supply chain partners for AWAPTP progeny groups. Agreements will be executed with multiple supply chains to enable data collection and access to AWA-PTP progeny and carcases.
9. The Board finalised confidential herd agreement process for large, unregistered herds to contribute DNA, performance, and breeding data to AWA for use in Wagyu BREEDPLAN and obtain EBVs for animals in their herds under commercial terms with the AWA.
10. The meeting finalised the 2023 WagyuEdge Conference speaker list and the program for the Event including Wagyu Branded Beef Competition BBQ, Elite Wagyu Sale and Gala Dinner evening.
11. The meeting approved the admission to full membership of 53 new members, including 27 Australian and 26 new international members.
Each year we are amazed at the growth of activity conducted by our members and the positivity and innovation within the Wagyu Sector. We constantly seek to improve and support you by upskilling our staff, growing our capacity and improving our services.
On behalf of our wonderful team of dedicated and passionate staff, I thank you for working with us throughout 2022 and I look forward to seeing you all next year at our Conference or around other AWA or industry events.
Dr Matt McDonagh AWA Chief Executive Officer
There were some fantastic industry and cultural insights to be found for 37 Wagyu breeders and other industry stakeholders who took part in Australian Wagyu Association’s 2022 Japan Wagyu tour, which travelled the length and breadth of the country in October.
The 14-day tour involving stakeholders from Australia, the US and Brazil was the third undertaken by the AWA to coincide with Japan’s famed Zenkyo, an unforgettable Wagyu cattle, carcase and genetics industry event held in different parts of the country every five years.
Previous AWA tours visited the event in 2017 and 2012, providing a great opportunity to benchmark the Australian Wagyu industry’s progress.
This year’s Zenkyo was held in a rural setting near the southern city of Kagoshima, provided the perfect culmination for the AWA Japan tour.
Described locally as the ‘Wagyu Cattle Olympics’, the colourful five-day event is the largest gathering of Wagyu stud cattle anywhere in the world. More than 400,000 people visited the previous Zenkyo held in 2017, and expectations this year were closer to 500,000, given the Japanese’ appetite for travel since COVID restrictions started to ease.
Some 440 head of cattle were involved in this year’s judging, representing 41 of Japan’s 47 prefectures – from the snowswept island of Hokkaido in the deep north to semi-tropical Oita in the far south. A separate meat judging competition involving 166 carcases was judged for marbling abundance and fineness, carcase yield and fat cover using the Meat Image Japan digital camera (see references below), as well as fatty acid composition.
Big winners this year were the ‘heavyweight’ prefectures of Kagoshima, Miyazaki, and Hokkaido, which is hosting the next event in 2027. The winner of the Prime Minister’s prize for overall results was Miyazaki prefecture, while Kagoshima claimed the coveted breeding bull championship.
and throughout the tour this year was that Japanese Wagyu industry stakeholders are now much less wary about the presence of Australian Wagyu industry members than they once were. Earlier Zenkyo visits in 2012 and 2017 were met
with some reservation and even wariness by locals, but the tour group this year could not have been made more welcome.
Language barriers aside, there was good-natured banter between local and Australian Wagyu breeders, with common interests clearly attracting the two together. Many locals were clearly curious about why the AWA tour group was there (Japan had not yet re-opened to overseas tourism at the time), and Wagyu beef production in Australia.
Some other key take-home messages gathered by this year’s tour group:
• While the best A5 Japanese Wagyu carcases continue to make the equivalent of A$18,000 at auction in Japan, rising cost of production, and the deteriorating value of the Japanese Yen continue to weigh heavily on Japanese Wagyu feeders and breeders. Currency movement and its impact was seen by some Wagyu lotfeeders as the biggest single problem currently faced by the local industry. Having started the year at Y115 to the US$, it slid to around Y148 during the AWA tour, before softening a little since then.
• While the Australian Wagyu industry’s trend in both marbling performance and carcase size has continued to track sharply higher over the past five years since the last Zenkyo event, it was hard to find evidence of substantive progression in these traits in Japanese carcase performance over the same period. One Wagyu breeder/feeder the tour group visited felt that eventually, it was likely that Australian Wagyu might one day match the performance of the Japanese Fullblood industry.
It should come as no surprise that experiencing high-end Japanese Wagyu beef in all its glorious forms became one of the highlights of the AWA tour.
The travel group enjoyed a wide range of Wagyu cuts in myriad cooking styles, from teppanyaki hot plate dining to shabu shabu (thinly shaved and cooked quickly in hot broth), and various cuts grilled over hot coals. Some items unfamiliar in Australia, such as marinated, thinly sliced grilled Wagyu beef tongue, are highly prized in parts of Japan.
What became immediately apparent is the pride with which each prefecture takes in their Wagyu product, with certifications of authenticity proudly displayed on many restaurant walls.
Australian style steak cuts are not widely seen outside the Teppanyaki dining style, but each Wagyu muscle group is prepared and sliced differently, with great precision, to suit specific Japanese cuisine styles.
Thin slicing is a key component in many cooking styles. Whether a piece of chuck eye roll is sliced 2mm or 4mm thick makes an important difference, in the eyes of the Japanese food service and retail industry and their customers, in how it is used.
Several restaurants visited during the tour, especially in Sendai, Kobe and Tottori had reserved hand-picked carcases and primals to provide the best possible samples for the AWA tour group, all grading A5.
I n visits to high-end Tokyo department store meat halls, some extraordinary prices were seen for the best Wagyu beef on offer. One sample of Matsuzaka sirloin beef from Mie prefecture was retailing at the Mitsukoshi department store for 7000 Yen per 100g, or the equivalent of A$767/kg.
The most highly regarded Wagyu prefectures (many of which were prominent winners in this year’s Zenkyo events) commanded big price premiums over lesser-known prefectures in retail displays. Individual animal breeding, feeding, and processing history accompanied the high-end beef on display in department store show cabinets.
During a briefing in Tokyo at the start of the tour, MLA Japan personnel said there was evidence that some younger Japanese consumers were becoming less aligned with highly-marbled Wagyu beef, instead looking more frequently for a lighter, less fatty, less costly item that some perceived to be more ‘healthy.’ Having made that point, however, Wagyu beef is still central to many Japanese consumer’s domestic beef choices, MLA said.
The Japanese industry continues to show pride in the export of Japanese domestic Wagyu beef into key markets around the world, including the US, China, Europe and even Australia – albeit in very small quantities. Exports to Australia this year have totalled less than 100 tonnes, but the trade is seen as symbolically important, in accessing countries with some of the tightest trade access and animal health risk profile requirements in the world.
The most highly regarded Wagyu prefectures (many of which were prominent winners in this year’s Zenkyo events) commanded big price premiums over lesserknown prefectures in retail displays.
The opportunity to see Australian-bred F1 Wagyu x Angus cattle on feed in Japan under local conditions and talk with the yard operators about their performance was another real highlight of the tour.
Japanese feedlot operators feeding Australian live-exported F1 Wagyu steers are complementary about the feeding and carcase performance of the cattle but are increasingly being challenged by higher Australian steer procurement costs, they said.
That’s a clear reflection of prices seen for all F1 Wagyu feeders in Australia, which have soared over the past two years to record levels, before easing off a little in recent months. Japanese feeder buyers have been swept along in that process, competing for the same pool of feeder cattle as large Australian Wagyu grainfed supply chains.
Live exporter Matt Edwards from Edwards Livestock told the tour group that where once, Australian F1 feeder steers were seen as a relatively attractive option (financially) for
Japanese lotfeeders, that had now changed dramatically.
“On top of the rising prices for Australian F1 Wagyu feeders, the Japanese currency has continued to deteriorate, making our cattle look very expensive,” Mr Edwards said.
Australian feeder cattle, landed here in Japan, were now double the price of the domestic Wagyu x Holstein F1 – the closest equivalent, he said.
“It’s the first time in history that that comparison has been anywhere near that. Previously the Australian feeder has always been cheaper than domestic.”
As Australian live export numbers to Japan have wound-back this year, Japanese feedlot operators have had to increase their number of locally-bred cattle on feed.
“But that’s only a short-lived solution, because they will soon run out of local feeder supply, which is small,” Mr Edwards said. “Domestic feeder prices are already starting to increase, as a result of the added demand pressure.”
Matt Edwards, who escorted the AWA tour group for part of their visit, said one of the key features seen in the performance of Australian-bred imported F1s over the past five years has been in higher carcase weights, which had risen from a 440kg average in 2017 to 500kg this year, at around 28 months of age. Some of the heaviest bodies can exceed 600kg in weight.
He said that was due entirely to greater Australian industry selection pressure on carcase weight, while also maintaining or improving marbling performance. There had been few tangible changes in the way the cattle are fed in Japan over the same period.
Marbling performance in the Australian-bred feeder cattle continues to rise, due to genetic improvement and efficiencies across the entire supply chain, Matt Edwards said.
It has been widely known for decades that Wagyu calves exposed to nutritional setback early in life will fail to express their full marbling potential on the rail.
Mr Edwards said Wagyu breeders in Australia invested a disproportionately large amount on nutritional support for their young cattle during the 2019-20 drought, and that was now being reflected in strong Japanese feedlot performance.
Additionally, more sophisticated supply chain management, using ‘backgrounding feedlots’ in Australia prior to shipment, was helping to eliminate any nutritional setbacks that might impact performance.
Almost counter-intuitively, some Australian live export supply chains are anticipating the possibility of a small decline in marbling performance in feeder cattle delivered to Japan next year (born after the drought broke), because of the way they have been backgrounded.
“During the drought, those calves were more likely to have been pulled off their mothers young, and put onto feed –albeit at considerable cost,” Mr Edwards told the tour group. “Now, with the abundance of paddock feed, they are more likely to have been weaned later, and onto pasture rather than a prepared higher protein/energy ration, which may not produce marbling results as good as coming off a prepared ration. Expectations are that this may reduce average marbling score by half a BMS score next year,” he said.
Under the expectations of Japanese feeder cattle customers, 70 percent of the Australian F1 feeders have to grade C3 under the Japan Meat Grading Association’s scale (equivalent to about marbling score 6 in Australia) – which is regularly being achieved.
“The emphasis in the F1s is on growth and feedlot performance. Obviously, there’s a standard expected for marbling performance as well, but certainly they are not seeking to chase the extreme marbling performance that they do in Japanese Fullblood programs,” Mr Edwards said.
“ We changed emphasis in the bulls we advised our suppliers to use and have lifted the average carcase weight by around 60kg, which our customers are pleased with,” he said.
“ There’s less emphasis now on smaller-framed high Tajimacontent bulls, and more on higher carcase weight types, which has paid off. ”
Japanese feedlots face extremely high feed ingredient costs, with anywhere from 90 to 100 percent of ration ingredients imported, in the various feedlots visited during the tour. Different ration ingredients and even roughages came from the US, Canada, Australia, China, South America and elsewhere.
Total cost of the finished ration at Marusho’s Naniwa Ranch feedlot near Kagoshima was calculated at about $800/t in Aussie dollars (rough calculation only, at time of interview).
Due to its heavy reliance on imported ingredients and currency impact, mixed ration price in the feedlot was now 1.4 times the price seen last year – a 40% rise. That has had significant impact on the feedlot margin, the feedlot manager said, but at the same time the retail meat sale price could not change due to retail competitiveness, he said.
The finisher ration used at Niniwa Ranch was made up of corn, barley and a brewers’ grain style by-product, ryegrass and rice straw hay plus trace minerals and other micronutrients, producing gains around a kilo a day.
Part of that spiralling feeding cost is offset by generous government subsidies, however. The Japanese national and/ or prefectural governments provide subsidies offsetting high imported feedstuff costs, in addition to other heavy subsidy programs on expanding breeding herds (estimated by one lotfeeder to be worth US$2000 per additional cow added to a herd) and separate subsidies for infrastructure development to house more breeding or feeding cattle. Part of this approach apparently stems back to Japanese government policy over food security, driven by memories of widespread famine across the country after WWII.
Live exporter Matt Edwards told the tour group that Australian F1 feeder cattle consigned to Japan typically produced at least an additional marbling score higher, on average, than the same cattle fed at home.
“There are several reasons for that. Controlled environment in the form of shedding, days on feed, and slaughtering and long-chilling practices are just some,” he said.
“Genetics is only part of the equation. What also shifts marbling score is killing practice, chilling, backgrounding, and the feedlot environment itself. It’s part of the reason why we are now seeing more shedding erected in the Australian Wagyu feeding industry. Correct backgrounding is a big part of it, also. At home we have 8000 or 9000 backgrounders in a feedlot style backgrounder program for 180 days.”
He said another big difference between performance in typical Australian-bred F1s in Japan and at home was age and weight. “Here, they go into the feedlot younger and lighter, around 300kg and grow with it. At home, they can go in at +400kg at a much older age.”
Matt Edwards impressed on the tour group how Japanese “precision and attention to detail” made a big difference in extracting maximum marbling performance out of Aussie F1 Wagyu carcases.
“It’s a big part of the reason why they can extract better marbling performance out of the same cattle than we can at home.
“You can get everything right in genetics, breeding, backgrounding and feeding, but the outcome can still be impacted by what happens in the processing plant and chillers. It’s about the whole production chain.”
“You can be a marbling score behind - like that - on Wagyu carcases without close attention to chiller temperatures, chilling cycles, circulation, and meat graders performance. But it’s not until a supply chain can establish those close relationships with their processors that some of these issues are evident.”
He illustrated this with an example of a problem his domestic Wagyu supply chain was having with marbling performance in chilled carcases in one Australian service kill plant being used some years ago. There had easily been a half-score to a full marbling score difference in Wagyu carcases from plant to plant.
“We sent an investigator into the plant to try to establish what was going on,” Mr Edwards said. “All the temperature times and chilling cycles were spot-on – industry best practice. But he noticed ID tags on some carcases in a chiller were not fluttering. It turned out the air was being pushed around the carcases, and not through the rows. The simple and virtually cost-free solution was in changing the baffles directing air around the chiller, which immediately lifted results.”
“ The message is; whatever we do in the Wagyu industry has to be precise and exact. All parts rely on each other to deliver the outcome. It’s what the Japanese do very, very well.”
19 - 24 April 2023 - Sydney, Australia
The 2023 conference program will focus on addressing the challenges of the future, with a line-up of exceptional speakers.
Diana Rodgers, RD, is a “real food” nutritionist, author and sustainability advocate. She runs a clinical nutrition practice, hosts the Sustainable Dish Podcast, and speaks internationally about human nutrition, sustainability, animal welfare and social justice. She’s written two books and helped to produce the short film, Soft Slaughter, which won a real food media award.
Her work has been featured in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Edible Boston and To Market. She’s the director and producer of the film Sacred Cow and co-author of the book, Sacred Cow.
Professor Paul Wood AO has led R&D teams from CSIRO, CSL and Pfizer Animal Health (now Zoetis) and was Deputy-Director of the Vaccine Technology CRC. He brought several innovative products to the market, receiving recognition for his work to invent a new diagnostic test for Tuberculosis, including the CSIRO Medal, the Clunies Ross award and made an Officer in the Order of Australia.
Paul is the Chair of an Insect farming start-up, on the Boards of Dairy Australia and the Australian Academy Technology, Science and Engineering and currently an Adjunct Professor at Monash University. In 2019 he was given the International Distinguished Veterinary Immunologist Award by the IUIS Veterinary Immunology Committee (VIC). He is a mentor for various AgTech accelerators such as Sprout X and Rocket Seeder as well as the CSIRO Protein Mission and in 2022 received the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers. With his background in biotechnology, he is a frequent commentator on the future of cell-based meat and precision fermentation technology.
Head of Agriculture and Natural Assets, Macquarie Group
Ms O'Leary will present on Wagyu and Global Market Trends.
Principal, HP Wagyu
Mr Hewitt will discuss Global Innovation on Farm.
The Food and Nutrition Doctor
Dr Padayachee will present on Changing the Red Meat Policy Environment.
Andrew Metcalfe AO
Secretary (CEO) and Director of Biosecurity, Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Mr Metcalfe will discuss Gene Editing and Emergency Disease Response.
Kosmos Farms located on the west side of the vast Tokachi Plain, at the foot of the Hidaka Mountains, in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture. Running 300 cows and turning off 60 fattened cattle per year, with cattle either sold at 30 days, 9 months old or for carcase meat at 28 months old. Kosmos Farms run a Brown Swiss and Japanese Black Wagyu operation and pride themselves on ensuring all animals are cared for with limited stress. Ahead of the game with technological advancements, including collars on cows to track oestrous cycle. The 2022 AWA Japan tour participants were lucky enough to be hosted by Ando-san in October 2022.
Ando-san will join us to talk all things Japanese beef production and what it means to be a new generational farmer in a traditional beef production country.
DNA, registrations and genetic tools information session with AWA staff (optional)
Tackling Challenges Head On featuring Diana Rodgers and Paul Wood Wagyu Sector Development
EVENING FUNCTION - 2023 Wagyu Branded Beef Competition Tasting and Awards at Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf – a celebration of the greatest Australian Wagyu Brands.
20 April
Wagyu and Global Market Trends featuring Elizabeth O’Leary
Global Innovation on Farm featuring Cameron Hewitt and Tomotaka Ando Future Drivers and Opportunities
Technology Enabled Supply Chains
EVENING FUNCTION - 2023 Elite Wagyu Sale on “The Jackson” Cruise Boat – world class animals and genetics will sell while cruising Darling Habour.
Changing the Red Meat Policy Environment featuring Dr Anneline Padayachee
Future Industry Directions
Gene Editing and Emergency Disease Response featuring Andrew Metcalf
EVENING FUNCTION - Wagyu Industry Dinner featuring Mayura Station Signature Series and Rangers Valley WX – a celebration of all our industry and its great successes, including the announcement of the 2023 AWA Hall of Fame Awardee and 25 Year Memberships.
Established in 1845, Mayura Station has become a national award-winning business specialising in Fullblood Wagyu beef. The property is situated along the rolling hills of the limestone Coast in South Australia in some of the finest farming country in Australia, with rich, fertile soils, an abundant water supply, a temperate climate and ever-reliant rainfall.
Mayura Station's Fullblood Wagyu cattle were imported to Australia in January 1998 and these bloodlines have been a distinctive factor of their high quality Fullblood Wagyu beef. It is home to one of the world’s best Wagyu breeding programs and has been described as the epicentre of outstanding Wagyu genetics outside of Japan. Their philosophy is to produce Fullblood Wagyu cattle with outstanding marbling, large ribeye’s, and a target weight of 450kg at 24-26 months of age – requiring less days to finish. They aim to breed cattle that are early maturing, profitable through the supply chain, and productive in all environments. Mayura’s breeding program has produced outstanding results as seen by their remarkable EBV’s; a reflection of the outstanding beef produced in their branded beef program.
Mayura station is one of the largest fullblood Wagyu operations globally and currently runs a 12,500hd Fullblood Wagyu operation, supplying its beef to long-term distribution partners and retailers around the world.
Mayura is a fully integrated operation with a strong focus on research and development in genetics, a large scale Fullblood Wagyu breeding operation, backgrounding, feedlotting facilities and an internationally renowned Wagyu Brand that exports into China, Hong Kong, KSA, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UAE. Mayura currently exports around 45% of its annual production with the balance sold in Australia.
Mayura Station are a sustainable, vertically integrated Fullblood Wagyu operation, they not only sell their beef commercially but also offer the ultimate paddock-to-plate experience with an onsite restaurant/tasting room. Which has been named South Australia’s best steakhouse three times and was also awarded Australia’s #1 Steakhouse in 2019 in the restaurant and caterers Awards for excellence.
High quality grain and fodder is provided by the Mayura cropping operation for the Wagyu breeding and feeding divisions and the use of composted materials form a sustainable operation. The program is designed with full traceability and food safety in mind.
The Wagyu cattle on Mayura Station are raised in a five-star finishing establishment with a two-stage feeding operation. This leads to the transcendent eating experience of juicy, tender beef. They begin with rotational pasture grazing on specially formulated diets as the fertile limestone hills guarantee the cattle receive their calcium requirements and nutrition. Stage two is where they are finished with Barnsheltered feeding with ultimate comfort and nourishment.
Over the years, Mayura Station has achieved many awards for their Wagyu beef including:
2019 SA Tourism Award Winner for Restaurant and Catering Services
2019 Restaurant and Caterers National Steakhouse of the Year
2019 Trophy Winner at the prestigious Delicious National Produce Awards
2019 Grand Champion Wagyu Brand at the Wagyu Branded Beef Awards
2022 Inaugural Gary Mcpherson packers award at the Wagyu Branded Beef Awards
Not only this, but Mayura Station were also the 2022 Wagyu Branded Beef Competition (WBBC) champions. The Australian Wagyu Association presents the award for the WBBC - the Pinnacle of Branded Beef Competitions for the best Wagyu brands in Australia.
This award represents the finest Wagyu on offer. There was a massive number of entries in the 2022 WBBC with 46 entries, from 31 world-class brands judged by a panel of 32 food and beef industry experts. 2022's entries were outstanding and more than ten entries with extremely high and fine marbling that exceeded 50% visual marbling making 2022 the highest competition ever seen.
The extremely high-quality beef provided by Mayura station took out the grand champion title and they will have the opportunity to supply the meat for the AWA Industry Dinner at the 2023 Conference. Dine with the taste of excellence and join us for the 2023 Australian Wagyu Association conference in Sydney.
Mayura’s entry in the 2022 WBBC competition had the highest marbling, highest marbling fineness and largest ribeye the judges described the entry as, “world class, extremely marbled, juiciness and flavour that dissolved in a rich beef and butter succulence. Exotic caramel and sweet fresh finish.”
“The AWA’s Branded Beef competition is the pinnacle of branded beef competitions in Australia and probably the world. The quality of the beef entered by Australia’s leading Wagyu brands is of the highest quality, making this one of the most difficult competitions to be successful at. The Mayura team is incredibly proud to have been crowned Grand Champion Wagyu Brand twice in the competition’s history” –Scott de Bruin
2022 WBBC competition had the highest marbling, highest marbling fineness and largest ribeye.
As the second year of the AWA Progeny Test Program (PTP) draws to an end, 814 of an expected 947 Cohort One calves have been born, and over 50 percent of the joinings have been complete to produce Cohort Two progeny.
The program aims to consolidate the substantial breed progress made by AWA members to date by enabling a large number of new sires that represent diverse breeding directions to be tested to identify high-value emerging Wagyu sires and expand the genetic merit evaluation of participating cow herds. In addition, the program expands on the global Wagyu performance recording efforts via the PTP Contributor Herds' commitment to large-scale data collection and submission for all project progeny born.
An important part of testing genetic performance is to have a wide range of genetic merit for traits.
The current BREEPLAN EBVs average and selection $indexes for sires entered into Cohorts One and Two are listed in Figure 1. For comparison, Wagyu's breed average is also provided in Figure 1.
Overall, sires entered into the PTP sit well above the breed average for most traits. It's expected that as progeny data is submitted to BREEDPLAN individual sires EBVs will change (increase or decrease), but the accuracy of the breeding values will increase, making the breeding values more reliable to base breeding decisions from.
It is important to note that the sires entered into the PTP represent a broad variation in EBVs. Part of this variation is due to the sires not being proven i.e. not having any progeny data submitted to BREEDPLAN, and so the accuracies of these EBVs is also quite low. The data collected throughout the PTP will increase the sires accuracies and we will see a change in breeding values. Figures 2 and 3 summarise the range in EBVs and $indexes from sires entered.
Figure 1 Current BREEPLAN EBVs average and selection $indexes for AWA-PTP sires in cohorts one and two.
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Optimising genetic diversity with the AWA-PTP to maximise benefit across the Wagyu population
Not only is there a variation in breeding values within the PTP Sires, but there is also variation in the genetics that are represented. Using genomic SNP information, we have recently been able to use MateSel to determine how closely related Sires really are to each other. >>>
Figure 4 demonstrates the relationship between each of the Sires to be used in Cohort Two matings. The relationship between sires and themselves is shown by the diagonal squares shaded in light blue and represents the highest possible relationship.
The relationship between a sire and another is shown in the off-diagonal, where the darker the square, the less related the sires are. This information has been used to help manage breeding program design with the Contributor Herds in sire allocation and to optimise genetic representation within a herd. Now that this tool has become available, it will also be used to better manage genetic diversity with incoming sire nominations and across the entire PTP reference population.
It is essential that as the program progresses, that elite and diverse genetics from the global Wagyu industry are put forward to participate and have Progeny recorded. The
AWA-PTP is designed to prove up these sires and young sires whose EBVs and accuracies may currently be lower due to low progeny records.
We are learning from the AWA-PTP and working with the contributor herds about how to use diversity information to improve breeding program design. Now is your chance to get involved and submit a sire – we are looking to identify elite diverse genetics from the global Wagyu industry. We need representation for unique bloodlines where our genetic analysis may not have large progeny numbers and therefore, some bloodlines may have lower accuracies etc. The AWA-PTP can help to prove those animals and EBVs can change greatly where they were previously low accuracy. If you have rare bloodlines, please consider participating as a sire contributor in the AWA-PTP.
Cattle repro veterinarian Dr Adam Wise and Vetoquinol’s Repro360 team partner with AACo to maximise the success of a recent fixed time AI (FTAI) program on wet Wagyu cows in the north.
They say when something is too good to be true it usually is… except in the case of Wagyu cattle which continue to defy the odds when it comes to performance.
One story that is worth sharing stems from an in-depth discussion about the merits of artificial insemination in the north following Dr Enoch Bergman’s seminar on Improving Heifer Productivity through Fixed Time AI. AACo’s North Queensland Regional Manager Clint Wockner was keen to prove FTAI could be done in the north and wondered what sort of results could be achieved with large numbers of wet cows.
There were certainly many cases for, but seemingly just as many, if not more, against. That was before factoring in the Wagyu breed with their hardiness and high fertility levels on top of meticulous management and attention to detail at Dalgonally Station.
Clint worked alongside Breeding and Genetics Regional Manager, Matias Suarez and Dalgonally Station Manager Philip Acton to give it a go. It fitted well with the company’s objective of accelerating the genetic progress of AACo’s Wagyu herds and to roll out the Wagyu Poll Program in Northern properties. 20 months later 380 head were being synchronised.
The odds seemed stacked against a good result for several reasons:
• it was an EU herd (meaning oestrodiol benzoate (ODB) couldn’t be used)
• handling wet cows in extensive northern systems is not always a simple thing to do
• the temperature that week was in the vicinity of 42-46 degrees
• being the wet season, the risk of rain was real
• staff had no prior experience with synchronising cattle or artificial insemination; and
• there was only 1 vet to AI the 380 head
However, despite these circumstances, Dr Adam Wise was cautiously optimistic at the time of AI. 82% of the mob had shown a heat prior to AI, evident from the rubbed heat patches used with
aided heat detection. Of these, Adam reported an extraordinary 71% on heat and therefore ready to AI on day 8. He said this is typically 15% in an EU herd! The following morning (day 9) a further 11% had shown heat. All remaining cows were given a GnRH injection and AI’d at the same time.
Back up bulls went in two weeks later for only a month (one extra cycle) to create an extremely tight joining period of 6 weeks. The protocol used (Figure 1) was a variation of the standard EU Cow FTAI with Aided Heat Detection. The variation was the result of a previous client error (leaving Cue-Mate® devices in for six days instead of the usual five) and achieving a better than expected result. This has been repeated numerous times since with consistently good results and has subsequently been adopted by both Adam and Vetoquinol as their preferred EU Protocol.
Both the original and varied protocols are recommended for EU herds where valuable semen is used and/or a good result is the primary objective. It requires the cows to be drafted off from their calves and put through the race an extra time i.e. at least four times (and in some cases five) during the 9 day program.
When Adam returned to preg-test 12 weeks later, he found a staggering 89% of the cows were in calf within the 6-week joining period. 57% were pregnant to AI and the remaining 32% to the bulls. Establishing such a tight calving period combined with the selection of superior polled genetics, will undoubtedly serve AACo well over many years to come.
The FTAI progeny (more than half of which were polled) were born early making them older and heavier than their naturally mated counterparts when it comes to joining (or feedlot entry). Assuming an additional 30-50kg gain @ approx. $10/ kg liveweight, means they are likely to be approx. $300-500/ head in front at this time (before AI costs).
Matias Suarez from AACo emphasises the fact that ‘increasing the genetic merit of the males and females in particular, born from this FTAI program, is very important as they will be retained in AACo’s Wagyu herds for the next ten years. During this time, the cumulative genetic benefits will flow through AACo’s supply chain from the northern breeding properties, backgrounding and feedlots up until the processing plants and will be the foundation of our beef products’.
Dr Adam Wise is quick to point out that the success of the synchronisation was largely attributable to the excellent management and animal husbandry AACo had in place at Dalgonally Station. Being well prepared, having cattle on a rising plane of nutrition (at least 6 weeks before and after AI date), with plenty of space and access to hay and clean water in between handlings was given highest priority. The cattle were extremely quiet which made them less prone to both heat and handling stress over the 9-day program.
Selecting the right females to be used in the program was another key factor of success. Having the advantage of being able to select the AI group from the original herd of 1500 Wagyu cows at Dalgonally Station is an advantage few others have. All cows were preg-tested 4 months ahead of AI and only those likely to have a calf at foot aged between 6 and 12 weeks at the time of AI were selected.
Semen from AACo bred high $Index polled bulls was used.
AACo invests significant time and resources in staff training. In this instance, Vetoquinol’s Northern Territory Manager, Julie Pocock helped train the AACo team to ensure the Cue-Mate® progesterone devices were inserted and removed correctly, and Vetoquinol’s PG and GnRH synchronisation drugs were administered timely. Giving the right dose, at the right time and in the right condition (i.e. protected from heat and sunlight) is vital for optimal results.
On AI day, Adam soon had three AACo staff members proficiently thawing semen straws, loading the AI gun and passing it to him. So, despite the heat, 85 head were AI’d per
hour in a calm and stress-free environment.
AI day went extremely well. Manager Philip Action described it as follows: All cows were in good condition for that time of the year and season and were supporting healthy calves. The cows and calves handled the AI process very well, remaining settled in the yards right through the whole program. This was evident with the last cows to be AI’d coming through the race for a 5th time, still flowing well and without any hassle at all!! And calves were mothering up straight out of the crush!!’
One can only conclude, that provided seasonal conditions are adequate, if meticulous planning and attention to detail are invested at every step of the way, there is no reason to doubt these results can’t be achieved again and even improved on.
For more information, tune into the Making BETTER Bovine Babies podcast, immerse yourself in the Repro360 YouTube channel or contact Repro360 on 1800 032 355 for a complimentary consultation.
How can progeny have higher EBVs than their sire or their mid parent value?
A frequent question that we get from members about their animal’s EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values) is: How can an individual animal (normally a new calf) have higher EBVs than their sire or the average of their parents?
In the Wagyu Update issue 71, page 49. �� issuu.com /australianwagyuassociation
In this article we discussed the genetic diversity that exists within full siblings from the same embryo flush. This article demonstrated that each offspring is the product of a different sperm and different egg from the sire and dam, and that each sperm and each egg caries a different random sample of the sire and dams DNA. As such, the flush siblings will share some common DNA, but they can have very different genomic profiles.
How is genetic variation between full siblings possible?
During fertilisation, 30 single chromosomes from the sperm and egg fuse together to create the chromosome pairs that make up that animals unique full genomic DNA. Every cell in cattle (except sperm and egg cells) contains these 30 chromosome pairs.
Full siblings (brothers or sisters who are not identical twins) can be seen to exhibit significant phenotype differences even when raised in the same environment. This is a result of Mendelian Sampling, the random sampling of genes when sperm and egg cells are created.
Each sperm and each egg contain a random sample of 50% of each parents’ DNA. Which 50% they get can differ greatly between each sperm and egg, meaning that full siblings can also differ greatly in their genomic similarity to each other. Identical twins have 100% genomic similarity, because they came from the same sperm and egg combining during fertilisation i.e., they have the same DNA.
The randomness of the passing on of genes from parents to offspring is why genetic variation exists between full siblings. On average, full siblings share 50% of their DNA. However, because of the random sampling of the parents DNA that occurs during the creation of the sperm and egg, it has been shown that full siblings can range from having below 40% genomic similarity, to above 60% genomic similarity.
How is genetic merit for trait performance between full siblings possible?
Production traits for Wagyu cattle can be influenced by multiple (potentially hundreds) of genes that have small cumulative effects. Every animal will have mutations in their DNA that affect a gene that contributes to a trait. Some of these mutations have a positive effect on the trait while others have a negative effect.
The above-described random sampling of parental DNA, means that different samples of genomic DNA, including different mutations related to trait performance, make up each sperm and egg. Therefore, each individual animal will have different inherited mutations that can affect a trait positively or negatively.
The Australian Wagyu Association implemented its Single-Step Wagyu BREEDPLAN genetic analysis in 2018 to enable the use of genomic information to accurately trace the inheritance of mutations through generations. This is how an individual animal may have higher or lower EBVs for a trait compared to either parent, or compared to the mid parent average.
Single-Step Wagyu BREEDPLAN can accurately determine the mutations that a progeny has inherited from its sire or dam, and it can estimate the association of these inherited mutations on the animals EBVs for the traits reported.
Using Single-Step Wagyu BREEDPLAN, we can more accurately calculate the inherited genomic differences between full siblings and report this in their EBVs. This can result in marked differences between the EBVs of full siblings once we have accounted for the genomic difference between them.
Examples of genetic variation between sire IMJFA2351 (Hirashigetayasu) and his male sire progeny
The graphs on the following pages demonstrate the variation in EBVs of 160 male sire progeny (intact male progeny that have calves parent verified to them within the AWA database) reported in April 2018. At the time, Wagyu BREEDPLAN was not using genomic information to compare the inheritance of individual mutations across the genome. The distribution of EBVs in 2018 is compared to the 2022 EBVs (post SingleStep genomic implementation) for the same 160 male sire progeny to demonstrate how genomic information can be used to increase the accuracy and range in EBVs for animals.
Genetic variation in birthweight in Hirashigetayasu progeny
Figure 1a shows for the Birth Weight (BW) EBV, the breed average EBV for calves born in 2018 was +1.0. Hirashigetayasu’s
BW EBV was +5.0, making him one of the breeds highest BW foundation sires. The distribution of BW EBV’s for 160 Hirashigetayasu sired male progeny are displayed in the graph with the average (yellow line) approximately mid-way between the IMJFA2351 EBV and the breed average. However, there are outliers for BW ranging from -0.8 to +7.5 based on genetic analysis of performance data and pedigree alone.
Figure 1b shows the BW EBV distribution from the November 2022 Single-Step BREEDPLAN run that incorporates genomic information in the calculation of EBVs. The same 160 Hirashigetayasu sired male progeny reported in Figure 1a have been used in Figure 1b. The breed average EBV for calves born in 2022 increased slightly to +1.1 . Hirashigetayasu’s EBV for BW has reduced slightly to +4.8, based on increased performance records on grand progeny linked to him over the 2018-2022 period. The distribution of BW EBV’s for 160 Hirashigetayasu male sire progeny calculated in 2022 are displayed in the graph with the average remaining at +2.8. >>>
No. ANIMALS
Figure 1a IMJFA2351 (2018) male sire progeny BW 2018 EBV DISTRIBUTION
PRE SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
No. ANIMALS
0 0
-0.8 to 0.03 -1 to 0
0.03 to 0.86 0 to 1
0.86 to 1.69 1 to 2
1.69 to 2.52 2 to 3
Figure 1b IMJFA2351 (2018) male sire progeny BW 2022 EBV DISTRIBUTION
2.52 to 3.35 3 to 4
3.35 to 4.18 4 to 5
4.18 to 5.01 5 to 6
A key difference between figures 1a and 1b is a broadening of the distribution of Hirashigetayasu progeny's BW EBV. The numbers of progeny greater than one EBV unit different to the average are significantly increased in figure 1b even though the average of his progeny stays the same.
Of the 160 males recorded in 2018, 15 progeny are over 1kg less than the progeny average, whereas in 2022, 40 progeny is over 1kg less than the progeny average. Similarly, 21 progeny that is over 1kg more than the progeny average in 2018, whereas in 2022, 42 progeny is over 1kg more than the progeny average.
The range in EBVs estimated in 2018 was -0.8 to +7.5. In 2022 it was -1 to +8.6. This means that with the introduction of Single-
Progeny ave. +2.8
IMJFA2351 BW EBV +5.0
5.01 to 5.84 6 to 7
Breed ave. (2018) +1.1 Breed ave. (2022) +1.1
2018 EBV RANGE
POST SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
Progeny ave. +2.8
5.84 to 6.67 7 to 8
6.67 to 7.5 8 to 9
IMJFA2351 BW EBV +4.8
2022 EBV RANGE
Step Wagyu BREEDPLAN, breeders can more accurately discriminate between sires when selecting for a trait, with both the difference between individuals increased on average and the full range of genetic potential for a trait expanded.
Increasing the ability of discriminate between potential sires based on broader EBV distribution and greater range of EBVs is critical for managing genetic improvement. These factors can also be important in avoiding extreme negative phenotype outcomes from genetic extreme animals, for example, in managing extreme birthweight genetics to avoid calving problems, particularly in first calf heifers. >>>
Figure 2a
IMJFA2351 (2018) male sire progeny MS 2018 EBV DISTRIBUTION
PRE SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
No. ANIMALS
Breed ave. (2018) +0.8
50
45
40
20 20 25 25
POST SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
35
30
-0.2 to 0.0 -0.18 to 0.1 15 15
0.0 to 0.1 0.1 to 0.38 30
0.1 to 0.3 0.38 to 0.66 35
0.3 to 0.4 0.66 to 0.94 40
0.4 to 0.6 0.94 to 1.22 45
5 5 10
0.6 to 0.7 1.22 to 1.5 50
Figure 2a shows the distribution of Marble Score (MS) EBV’s for Hirashigetayasu’s 160 male sire progeny as reported in April 2018. Hirashigetayasu’s EBV for MS was -0.1. The distribution of BW EBV’s for his male progeny are displayed in the graphs above, with the average (yellow line) approximately +0.1.
Outliers for MS EBV ranged from -0.8 to +0.7 based on the 2018 genetic analysis of performance data and pedigree alone. The breed average EBV for calves born in 2018 was +0.8. Figure 2b shows the MS EBV distribution from the November 2022 Single-Step BREEDPLAN run that incorporates genomic information in the calculation of EBVs for the same 160 Hirashigetayasu male sire progeny reported in Figure 2a. The breed average EBV for calves born in 2022 has increased slightly to +1.1. Hirashigetayasu’s EBV for MS has stayed the same.
The distribution of MS EBV’s for 160 Hirashigetayasu male
sire progeny calculated in 2022 are displayed in graph, with the average (yellow line) increasing to +0.2.
Notable in comparing figures 2a to 2b, is that the MS EBV range for the Hirashigetayasu male sire progeny reported in 2018 was 1.5 MS units from the lowest (-0.7) to the highest (+0.8) ranking individual. In 2022, the MS EBV range for the same 160 males recoded in 2018 had almost doubled 1.5 MS units to 2.8 MS units.
In 2018, 15 of 160 individuals were more than 0.5 MS units higher or lower than Hirashigetayasu, with the most extreme individual 0.8 MS units higher to Hirashigetayasu’s MS EBV of -0.1. This animal was still less than breed average.
In 2022, 57 of the 160 individuals were more than 0.5 MS units higher or lower than Hirashigetayasu, with the most extreme individual +1.5 MS units higher than Hirashigetayasu’s MS EBV of -0.1. Some of these animals are now higher than breed average.
No. ANIMALS
Figure 3a
IMJFAJ2810 (2018) male sire progeny BW 2018 EBV DISTRIBUTION
50 50
45 45
40 40
35 35
30 30
No. ANIMALS
25 25
20 20
15 15
10 10
5 5
0 0
Breed ave. (2018) +1.0
Progeny ave. 0.0
IMJFAJ2810 BW EBV -1.4
Figure 3b
-3.8 to -2.92 -4.6 to -3.61
-2.92 to -2.04 -3.61 to -2.62
-2.04 to -1.16 -2.62 to -1.63
-1.16 to -0.28 -1.63 to -0.64
IMJFAJ2810 (2018) male sire progeny BW 2022 EBV DISTRIBUTION
-0.28 to 0.6 -0.64 to 0.35
0.6 to 1.48 0.35 to 1.34
1.48 to 2.36 1.34 to 2.33
Examples of genetic variation between sire IMJFAJ2810 (Kitateruyasudoi) and his male sire progeny
Genetic variation in birthweight in Kitateruyasudoi progeny
Figure 3a shows for the Birth Weight (BW) EBV, the breed average EBV for calves born in 2018 was +1.0. Kitateruyasudoi’s EBV for BW was -1.4 making him one of the breeds lowest BW foundation sires.
The distribution of BW EBV’s for Kitateruyasudoi’s 205 male sire progeny are displayed in the graph about with the average (yellow line) approximately mid-way between the IMJFAJ2810 EBV and the breed average. However, there are outliers for BW ranging from -3.8 to +5.0 based on genetic analysis of performance data and pedigree alone.
Figure 3b shows the BW EBV distribution from the November 2022 Single-Step BREEDPLAN run that incorporates genomic information in the calculation of EBVs for the same
2.36 to 3.24 2.33 to 3.32
Breed ave. (2022) +1.1
Progeny ave. -0.1
IMJFAJ2810 BW -1.6
3.24 to 4.12 3.32 to 4.31
4.12 to 5 4.31 to 5.3
2018 EBV RANGE 2022 EBV RANGE
205 Kitateruyasudoi male sire progeny reported in 2018. The breed average EBV for calves born in 2022 has increased slightly to +1.1. Kitateruyasudoi’s EBV for BW was reduced slightly to -1.6, based on increased performance records on progeny linked to him over the 2018-2022 period.
The distribution of BW EBV’s for 205 Kitateruyasudoi sired male progeny calculated in 2022 are displayed in the graph, with the average (yellowl line) decreasing slightly to -0.1.
Notable in comparing figure 3a to 3b, is that the BW EBV range for the Kitateruyasudoi male sire progeny reported in 2018 was 8.8 kg compared to 9.9kg in 2022. Also noted in figure 3b are increased numbers of progeny below the IMJFAJ2810 EBV of -1.6 and increased numbers of progeny above the breed average of +1.1.
No. ANIMALS
80
70
Figure 4a IMJFAJ2810 (2018) male sire progeny MS 2018 EBV DISTRIBUTION
PRE SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
No. ANIMALS
Breed ave. (2018) +0.8
10 5 60
Figure 4b
50
45
40
35
1.1 to 1.4 1.25 to 1.64 20 10
1.7 to 2 2.03 to 2.42 30 20
2 to 2.3 2.42 to 2.81 40 25
0.2 to 0.5 0.08 to 0.47
0.5 to 0.8 0.47 to 0.86
Figure 4a shows the distribution of Marble Score (MS) EBV’s for Kitateruyasudoi’s 205 male sire progeny (April 2018). His MS EBV was +1.5 at this time. The distribution of his male progeny MS EBV’s is shown in the graph. Progeny average (yellow line) was approx. +0.9. MS EBV outliers ranged from -0.4 to +2.6 based on the 2018 genetic analysis. Figure 4b shows the MS EBV distribution (November 2022 Single-Step BREEDPLAN) for the same 205 Kitateruyasudoi male sire progeny reported in Figure 2a. The 2022 breed average for calves born increased slightly to +1.1 as did Kitateruyasudoi MS EBV. The distribution of his male progeny MS EBV’s is shown in the graph. Progeny average (yellow line) was approx. +1.2. Comparing figures 4a to 4b, the MS EBV range for Kitateruyasudoi's male sire progeny in 2018 was 3.0 MS units from the lowest (-0.4) to the highest (+2.6) ranking individual. In 2022, the MS EBV range had increased from 3.0 MS units to 3.9 MS units. In 2018, 6 of the 205 Kitateruyasudoi male sires had a higher MS EBV than Kitateruyasudoi himself, recorded as MS EBV of +2.6.
0.8 to 1.1 0.86 to 1.25
1.4 to 1.7 1.64 to 2.03 15
2018 EBV RANGE
2.3 to 2.6 2.81 to 3.2 50 30
POST SINGLE-STEP BREEDPLAN
Breed ave. (2022) +1.1
In 2022, 26 of the 205 male sires had a higher MS EBV than Kitateruyasudoi himself with a MS EBV of +3.2.
This randomness in passing on genes from parents to offspring is why genetic variation exists between full siblings. On average, full siblings share 50% DNA with each other. However, because of the random sampling of the parents DNA, the genetic merit of siblings can vary greatly because they can inherit different mutations related to trait performance. Each individual animal will have different genomic DNA makeup and will have inherited mutations which can affect a trait positively or negatively. Using SingleStep Wagyu BREEDPLAN can more accurately calculate the inherited genomic differences between full siblings reporting this in their EBV. This increases our ability to discriminate between potential sires based on broader EBV distribution and greater range of EBVs for all traits. This is critical for managing genetic improvement within your Wagyu herd.
Alongside the 2022 AGM, the Australian Wagyu Association hosted the 2022 AWA Technical workshop, exploring nutrition, management and genetic improvement and breeding programs in Wagyu. Industry experts, Carel Teseling, Ben Hayes, Andrew Hallas and Peter McGilchrist shared their insights, experiences and challenges.
Breeding decisions based on dams and sires have a significant impact on the rate of genetic improvement, inbreeding levels and the overall profitability of a herd. MateSel software uses pedigrees, $Index and EBV’s to suggest potential mate selections based on the given sires and dams to optimise genetic potential of the progeny while reducing inbreeding and co-ancestry (true relatedness) in the herd. This software is available to the members of AWA on a fee-for-service basis.
MateSel was developed by Professor Brian Kinghorn at the University of New England and is used in breeding programs for a range of species. Based on a user’s breeding objectives, the software considers multiple simultaneous choices of available parents to select for breeding as well as a list of backup mating’s. MateSel also considers the relatability of not only the selected mates but the future relatability of the progeny in the breeding program. It manages relatedness by focusing on co-ancestry (similarity of ancestors between animals mated) rather than inbreeding (level of relatedness of ancestors within an individual animal). Co-ancesty is a very important indicator of relatedness as it aims to manage long term inbreeding of a herd. For example, if you chose a bull with moderate inbreeding, but he is totally unrelated to your herd, there will be no inbreeding in the resultant progeny. However, these progeny will be at least 50% related now which will dramatically reduce your choice of bulls available in the future. Using co-ancestry, we can manage the true relatedness of progeny rather than prior inbreeding levels.
The focus of a well-structured breeding program is to balance the attention on genetic gain with coancestry of current and future progeny. Most often, breeders place a negative weight on animal relatedness whilst improving performance traits. However, this method is too simplified to accommodate for the complexity of modern breeding programs.
MateSel CAN handle this complexity by allowing the user
to nominate the number of matings, available parents lists, available number of paddocks, number of straws of semen available for AI sires, IDs of natural service sires available for backup matings and the levels of use of Embryo Transplanting.
MateSel produces an optimal selection of mates based on the parameters the breeder choses including:
1. Indicate the breeding objective
2. Nominate the breeding strategy (eg. balance genetic gain and inbreeding)
3. Indicate the EBV’s that are of interest to increase, maintain or decrease in the matings
4. Supply a list of candidate sires and a list of candidate females available for matings (for females include age groups, last calving and registration status.
5. Specify mating groups to suit the joining plan (eg. heifer vs mature cow matings and natural vs AI matings)
6. Set a maximum usage for sires and minimum cow mob size for natural matings
Once this process is complete, a report and suggested mating allocation will be produced and supplied to the member. The member will also be able to see the available herd progress at different levels of management for inbreeding or genetic gain.
It allows you to specify your breeding objectives by selecting $Index to reflect your production system whilst controlling inbreeding levels into the future using coancestry. Maximise genetic gain without compromising with inbreeding. It objectively uses all given genetic data (Pedigrees and EBV’s) to improve your mating decisions and can significantly save time in producing mating lists.
It can help to make informed decisions about semen purchases , which back up bulls to use and the selection or culling of cows and heifers and you the breeder controls the breeding objective that the program.
DISCUSS THE OPTIMAL PARAMETERS FOR MATESEL Carel Teseling MOBILE-SIGNAL 02 8880 7703 �� carel@wagyu.org.au
The future of AWA includes a continued focus on delivery of new innovations for the benefit of our members. Professor Ben Hayes from the University of Queensland joined our Technical Workshop to provide some information on technologies that will help revolutionise the Wagyu Sector.
Biotechnology has a major impact on livestock production as it influences the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of animal health, nutrition, and reproduction. The uptake of these technologies has increased rapidly as cost deceases and benefit increases.
Key future drivers of profitability such as fertility, meat quality, carbon footprint, and animal welfare will be a focus for the development of new technologies. Biotechnology can help producers maximise kg of beef per cow, reduce methane emissions, improve animal welfare, and enhance meat quality – therefore, helping to target higher quality markets.
Using genomics through Wagyu BREEDPLAN, you are already using biotechnology. Using DNA markers that are associated with desirable traits allows producers to select animals for inclusion in their breeding programs early in life and therefore allows for higher accuracies of EBV’s for key traits. These markers provide a map within the DNA to locate certain traits in an individual’s genome. Marker assisted breeding effectively reduces the time required to identify individuals that express the desired traits in a breeding program.
Wagyu BREEDPLAN enables the use of EBV’s for traits that influence fertility, meat quality and feed efficiency and facilitates the selection and breeding of animals as early as possible. Embryo selection is also now possible by using genotyping and genomic breeding values. Genotyping is an
example of biotechnology that has been rapidly adopted in the livestock industry as there are 1000’s of genotypes being done each week and it has made a substantial impact on the livestock industry.
The rumen turns low quality forage into high quality protein in the form of meat and milk. This forage is fermented by a diverse community of bacteria, archaea and other microbes and this profile of rumen microbes can predict how much methane will be emitted by each individual. Developments in sequencing technology made this possible. Because cattle chew their cud, you can take a sample of saliva and sequence it to gain an accurate idea of the rumen profile. This is a beneficial technology for the future as producers will be able to select to reduce methane emissions and therefore decrease their carbon footprint.
Currently, genomic values and EBV’s take approximately 6 weeks to return to the producer which is much slower than is needed to make selection decisions in some programs such as Northern herds that are only brought in once a year. They’re forced to make selection decisions in the yards based purely on phenotype.
One emerging technology that has come about since the Covid pandemic is the Nanopore sequencer which returns sequence results in approximately 15-30 minutes compared to days. This device sequences the DNA sample you’ve placed inside it and can be read out on a phone or laptop.
This has the potential to be used on farm in the future to produce fast and accurate breeding values. However, there
needs to be further development in the quick extraction of clean DNA samples. This would provide producers with many benefits such as identifying disease with marker assisted selection or aging animals through identifying methylated areas of DNA.
Methylation of the DNA determines whether certain genes are “switched on or off” and they are switched off in a chronological order which means they can be used to predict the age of an animal. The nanopore sequencer could also be used to improve traceability of an animal as DNA is the unique
identifier across all supply chains. Studies showed that to can trace an animal from its meat close to 100% accuracy.
Gene editing is another biotechnology that will have a major impact on the livestock industry in the future. Gene editing can change the sequence of DNA and alter how the gene operates and this could be used to influence many desirable traits. For example, the world first Angus calf has been engineered to be heat tolerant by using the genes from Bos indicus breeds.
A high standard of animal health, productivity, and performance when buying or selling cattle is essential to all producers and their selected markets. The Immune Ready Guidelines developed by Australian Cattle Veterinarians aims to provide this high standard when trading cattle through the use of the National Cattle Health Declaration to maximise productivity while minimizing risk of diseases through the supply chain.
Cattle are constantly moving across Australia and being exposed to other herds, especially in feedlotting, where cattle may travel from as far as WA to NSW. The MLA husbandry survey in 2018 showed shocking results as only 48% of producers quarantine on arrival, 30% drench on arrival and only 16% vaccinate on arrival.
The National Cattle Health Declaration is a legal document that can accompany the National Vendor Declaration (NVD) and helps reduce risk of disease and improves biosecurity. However, only 10% of NVD’s have this secondary declaration with it.
Low levels of risk management in trade operations are creating large animal health issues and transfer of disease as cattle coming into a property or feedlot could be carrying disease or subsequently be exposed. This creates losses at a time when people can least afford them such as now while people are trying to restock after the drought. For example, one large corporate operation bought 100’s of bulls and transported them to the NT where there was a significant outbreak of respiratory disease. This could have been prevented and better managed through the use of the Immune Ready Guidelines.
The Immune Ready Guidelines allows buyers to know the vaccination status of all the cattle before purchasing and transporting them to their operation. By purchasing Immune ready cattle, buyers significantly lower the risk of disease, improve farm biosecurity and improve the health and welfare of their herd.
Immune Ready advises the buyer that a National Health Declaration will be provided to verify the treatments given. Buyers should consult with their local veterinarian for a herd health plan best suited for their locality and enterprise.
Immune Ready means that sellers will be maximising productivity on farm and minimising disease risk when selling their cattle. Being Immune Ready prepares the cattle for potential disease challenges and allows sellers to promote and sell premium cattle to the industry standard.
Immune Ready is a three-step process:
1. Vaccinate cattle according to the guidelines of the vaccine
• Includes diseases such as: IBR (for bulls) and tetanus and pulpy kidney
• Do the core vaccines according to the immune ready guidelines
• Be aware of regionally specific diseases such a botulism
• Be aware that three day is getting more and more south especially if sending genetics up north
2. Buy or sell with the immune ready logo
• Sellers can download the immune ready logo from the website www.immuneready.net.au
• Buyers look for the logo when buying cattle
3. Provide a National Cattle Health Declaration when selling cattle and check for one when buying cattle
WATCH �� wagyu.org.au /about-us/agm-workshop
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Low levels of risk management in trade operations are creating large animal health issues and transfer of disease ...”
In preparation for the 2023 Elite Wagyu Sale, we take the time to look back on history as we celebrate 10 years of the Elite Wagyu Sale delivering world record prices, top quality genetics and outstanding live animals to the global Wagyu Sector.
The sale began in 2014, known then as the “Wagyu Fullblood 100% International Sale” where bulls reached a top of $7,500 and females at $8,250. Prices climbed the record books from this sale forward, where in 2017 the top price bull was $105,000 and the top price female was $95,000.
In 2019, the top price female fetched $280,000, jump forward three years post a global pandemic and the Elite Wagyu Sale holds the Australian Record All Breeds Heifer price at $400,000.
Figure 1 shows the trend of the Elite Wagyu Sale average prices and top prices since the inaugural sale in 2014, noting significant drought years of 2020 and 2021.
Figure 1 Elite Wagyu Sale average prices and top prices 2014 - 2022
Looking forward to the 2023 Elite Wagyu Sale, we are looking forward to being able to deliver another recording breaking sale, having accepted 70 lots from 47 vendors.
Our 2023 catalogue is our strongest ever, with top 1% EBVs runing all through the catalogue with the highest marble score +3.8, self replacing index $371, milk +8 and yearling weight +56.
These lots represent sought after sire lines such as:
ADBFL0010 MAYURA L0010
BDWFY0408 MACQUARIE WAGYU Y408
BYWFK0733 BLACKMORE CHIYOFUKU K733
BYWFH0224 BLACKMORE KINASURUKIKU H224
CCOFG0113 COATES ITOSHIGENAMI G113
IMJFQ3161 KITTATSURUKIKU DOI
IMUFP010 KANADAGENE 101
LFDFD12558 LONGFORD MR AWESOME
MYMFQ007 ARUBIAL BOND Q007
MYMFP0342 ARUBIAL UNITED P0342
SMOFF0154 SUMO CATTLE CO MICHIFUKU F154
TFWFM0245 TAKEDA FARM KIKUFUKU DOI
WKSFPC100 WORLD K'S KANADAGENE 100
Stay tuned for a full catalogue being released early in the new year.
2023 Elite Wagyu Sale Catalogue
lots entered from 47 vendors
Number of lots in each category
bulls
females
Highest marble score (MS)
semen
embryo
bulls +3.8 females +3.8 semen +2.9 embryo
Highest carcase weight (CWt)
bulls
females
embryo
index (SRI)
females
yearling weight (400)
embryo
F1 $Index (F1TI )
females
Wagyu crossbred progeny data can now also be submitted to the AWA and used to generate EBV's for Fullblood animals. This is an important step as it will lead to an increase in accuracy of dam and particularly sire EBV's as information from relatives (especially progeny) increases EBV accuracy exponentially.
Many Fullblood Wagyu sires are used as commercial F1 sires. Their progeny data can now be incorporated in the AWA BREEDPLAN genetic evaluation to improve the estimate of their genetic merit and improve their EBV accuracy. This is of great benefit to members who have previously not been able to prove their sires because they have not had Fullblood carcase progeny data.
Until recently, Wagyu BREEDPLAN has only used trait data
from Fullblood progeny to determine genetic merit of sires and dams. However, the number of crossbred Wagyu progeny of Fullblood sires sold for slaughter is much higher than the production of Purebred and Fullblood progeny. (It remains important to continue submitting Fullblood and Purebred data to the AWA BREEDPLAN). This large volume of crossbred data is a source of new information that can be utilized by members through their supply chain relationships.
One positive outcome of this data is the improvement of EBV accuracy (confidence). For example, a study of crossbred data showed the average accuracy for the CWT EBV increased from 63% to 78%. Accuracy is related directly to the rate of genetic improvement, so we want to maximize this and use all possible information to contribute to EBV's.
The inclusion of crossbred carcase trait data in the Wagyu BREEDPLAN also significantly increased the spread in EBV’s for sires that had crossbred progeny data added. This is an advantage for Wagyu members as it will aid in increased genetic progress when using EBV’s in their breeding programs.
Wagyu BREEDPLAN EBV's allow producers to judge an animal's genetic merit for a range of traits that directly influence profitability. EBV's are extremely useful when comparing and assessing the genetic potential of animals and trait performance data is essential for generating these EBV's using BREEDPLAN. This trait data includes weight, fertility, ultrasound scan and carcass traits and needs to be submitted to the AWA to improve the analysis and accuracy of EBV's in the members' breeding programs.
There has been a significant increase in the number of contributors of data to Wagyu BREEDPLAN, which highlights the importance of submitting useful data to ensure members get maximum benefit from these measurements. There are guidelines that can help to enable the collected data to be used in the BREEPLAN analysis to obtain accurate EBV's.
Large management groups allow for accurate EBV's as the outside effects are minimized such as difference in management or environment - allowing more of the between animal variation to be accounted for by an animal's genetics. For example, BREEDPLAN can only compare the weight and genetic merit of steers within ONE management group if they were weighed on the same day under the same conditions (managed as one group from birth). Most commercial operations already collect weight data on single days.
For many crossbred Wagyu operations, it is easy to collect data while undertaking routine operations, on large commercial management groups. It is important to measure animals on the same day and keep the management groups as large as possible, whilst using accurate equipment. This is due to needing to accurately compare animals within management groups to determine potential genetic differences. As a guide to assist members in collecting data, the flow charts provided here can be used – noting that collection of Birth Date and Birth Weight can determine which traits data can be analysed for in Wagyu BREEDPLAN.
these measurements are accurate. In crossbred operations, Birth Weight is seldom collected. However, even without Birth Weight, Recording Birth Date and later weight and carcase traits on crossbred progeny can provide exceptional data for improving the EBVs of the sire.
Data recording with accurate DOB Accurate BW (within 24 hrs). DO NOT calculate DOB based on AI/ET/PregTest. Collect DNA , test and PV Register with AWA (inc. NLIS) and record calving difficulty scores BRANDING (REGISTERED CALVES) Can use EBVs to decide which calves to castrate. Record 200-day weight. Record castration dates. SPLIT
Accurate Birth Dates are essential within BREEDPLAN as they are used to calculate the age of an animal to provide the foundation for 200, 400, and 600 day weights and allows for the comparison of animals of similar ages within management groups. Therefore, Birth Date is important to allow BREEDPLAN to accurately adjust the weight of the animals in the group to allow them to be compared. For example, if you weigh an animal at 265 days old rather than 200, the weight can be adjusted back to a 200 day equivalent. As Wagyu crossbred data can now be submitted into the AWA
BREEDPLAN and used to generate EBV’s, it is important that the members make the most of Crossbred data to maximize the benefit through their supply chain relationships. We have provided 2 simple flowcharts to assist members to collect data that will be of most use to them in proving their sires.
Using accurate Fullblood and Crossbred progeny data will increase EBV accuracies across all members breeding programs. High EBV accuracy leads to an increased rate of genetic improvement and we want to enhance this by using all possible information to contribute to EBV’s.
BRANDING (FIRST SIGHT OF CALVES) Collect DNA, test and PV. No recorded weights and Register with AWA (inc. NLIS).
Members are not required to record all information for each animal. Aim to record the traits that are important to your breeding objective at minimum. It's in yourown best interest to record this data as accurately as possible to maximise genetic improvement of your herd.
