At the forefront of genomics technology with the massive production and marketing advances it promises and in the box seat to capitalise on a lucrative and growing global demand for premium beef, the Wagyu breed in Australia is set for unprecedented expansion.
The forecast continuation of the breed’s explosive past five years of growth means Wagyu has the “ability to turn the key in the Australian beef industry to start really adding value and profitably.”
Those were the words of retiring Australian Wagyu Association chief executive officer Graham Truscott at the annual conference in Albury this week as he summed up the unique position the breed currently finds itself in.
Wagyu breeding has gone from being ‘secret men’s business’ with no sharing of knowledge and no faith in genetic analysis to leading edge Australian cattle industry business blazing new trails in a number of beef domains, according to Mr Truscott.
Since 2012, Wagyu herd book registrations have tripled and membership of the breed association has doubled.
In April 2015, there were 7720 Wagyu animals with estimated breeding values (EBVs). Last month, it was more than 80,000.
By 2020, the forecast is for 821,000 Wagyu joinings, which will be 5.7per cent of the female beef herd, and a 276,000 head turn-off.
The breed’s ten-year vision includes comprising 5pc of the genetic base of the Australian national beef herd.
Much of its growth to date has come on the back of a genetic analysis program which ventured into territory other beef breeds have not gone – and the future expansion will likewise rest heavily on the fact Wagyu breeders are continuing down that path, according to those at its helm.
“When we set about looking at the genetic analysis side, we pulled information out of the whole of supply chain, not just the seedstock sector, and that was quite different to what other breeds were doing,” Mr Truscott said.
“We were able to produce credible EBVs on carcase weight, eye muscle area, marble score, marbling fineness and we produced a credible fullblood terminal index (FTI) on carcase weight and marble score to effectively rank sires for terminal fullblood and crossbred breeding – that was a first.”
A sire progeny test program to proof promising young sires and the development of an EBV for feed efficiency are other innovations fueling the growth of the breed.
“Many Australian-bred bulls are now available with an FTI greater than the original sire,” Mr Truscott said.
“The classic example is Itoshiganami, who is rated with an FTI of $348 and his son Mayura Itoshignami Jnr at $558 – he sold for $3050 a straw at the live auction at last year’s AWA conference.
“And still, we are looking to the future, exploring new areas like eating quality and human health,” Mr Truscott said.