Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA

PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WAGYU ASSOCIATION

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of its Members and Directors, working in tandem with our partners throughout the supply chain, the Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) in the UK & Ireland is making great strides not just in terms of the numbers of cattle being registered but the overall influence the breed is having on beef production, its marketing as well as consumer demand. WBA aims are to work with all our partners to deliver a great product to the consumer reflecting the unique properties of Wagyu and furthering its reputation as the world’s finest beef!

MIJ CAMERA TECHNOLOGY

MIJ (Meat Imaging Japan) technology has now reached the UK and is being used in both the Fullblood and crossbred sectors including at a major abattoir where several thousand scans are anticipated in the first year. The potential benefit for British Wagyu is huge. Comments WBA Director Philip Maddocks “Not only will the MIJ camera technology give us a way to differentiate on price as well as quality, but the carcase data we collect will help us improve our genetics as well as our efficiency of production to maximise return. As Wagyu breeders and producers, we can use this tool to change the beef industry as we know it.”

WAGYU BIRTHS UP BY +65%

Figures released by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) for 2020 show that British Wagyu, known for its highly marbled premium beef, has increased its numbers by 65% on the year. The figures, for beef cattle born in England, Wales & Scotland reveal almost 10,000 Wagyu-sired calves were born in 2020. Of these, 8388 were crossbred (sired by a Wagyu bull) and 1047 purebred or Fullblood - totalling 9,435 head of Wagyu animals when compared to 5,699 in 2019. Wagyu now represents around 1.5% of beef-sired calves born in GB. The current growth predicts a 5% market share within 3 years.

WBA Director Chris Dickinson says “This is a real sign that Wagyu is well on its way to becoming a crucial part of the UK beef industry. British Wagyu is now on far more restaurant menus across the UK as customers are drawn to its high marbling and fantastic taste.”

Wagyu calves with their British Wagyu-branded DNA tissue eartags from Caisley

BRITISH WAGYU ASSURANCE SCHEME

WBA-Approved British Wagyu - Fully WBA Assured British Wagyu In July 2020, the WBA established a British Wagyu Assurance Scheme which included a published set of rules for Members to adhere to in order to be able sell under its auspices. Members fulfilling the criteria may display the WBA Approved British Wagyu / Fully WBA Assured British Wagyu logo (pictured above) at their premises, on their marketing materials, product packaging, and will have their animals listed publicly on the British Wagyu website. They will also receive a certificate confirming their membership of the scheme for the year in question. The scheme will:

» Lead the industry in terms of traceability, animal welfare and consumer trust

» Enhance the integrity and value of premium Wagyu beef » Be at the forefront of data collection for meat quality, performance efficiency and climate change » Increase the profile and demand for British Wagyu

GENUS VALIDATIONS

WBA is partnering with Genus to provide genetic evaluations for crossbred Wagyu calves. Data is collected throughout the animal’s life from birth (calving ease, birthweight, gestation length) through to slaughter (daily liveweight gain, deadweight, marble score). Several thousand marble score records have already been collected at a number of plants with the aim of producing validations such as deadweight vs marbling score and age at slaughter vs marbling score and feed conversion rate (FCR) – ultimately relating these back to the sire. Over time, accuracy and predictability of these tools will increase as more and more animals come through the system. On the maternal side, Genus has recently released results of the first calving survey on three bulls. Colin Lucas, Regional Business Manager for Genus Breeding Ltd, comments “We asked our dairy farmers to fill in a survey which includes data on calving difficulty, calf vigour, calf size and calf survivability at 48hrs. This data gives our dairy farmers a better chance of getting cows back in calf quickly and getting up to peak milk quicker.” Genus also conducts the WBA’s sire verification programme for commercial calves entering the British Wagyu quality assurance scheme.

FULLBLOOD REGISTRATIONS

Full members of WBA are automatically paid-up overseas members of our partner the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) allowing them to register Fullblood calves and be part of the ABRIBREEDPLAN performance recording evaluation. Comments BWBA Secretary, Richard Saunders: “We’ve been working with Australia since we started in 2014. This partnership is crucial in accessing high-quality member, registration and technical services to help the breed flourish further here.”

WORLD WAGYU COUNCIL

The UK is one of the founder members of the newly created World Wagyu Council (WWC) whose objectives are to:

» Facilitate the development of the Wagyu breed and product internationally with goodwill and integrity » To foster good relations between member associations » To promote the Wagyu breed and especially the product throughout the world » To exchange scientific and technical information amongst its members

» To provide a forum for establishing the next country to host

World Wagyu Conference (2023 USA; 2026 South Africa; 2029

UK/Germany) » Establish protocols for the exchange of Wagyu genetic information between World Council members

» Help facilitate business opportunities between member countries To find out more visit www.britishwagyu.co.uk or follow us on Facebook ‘Wagyu Breeders Association’; Twitter @BritishWagyu