The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) invites all members to attend the 2024 Technical Workshop and Annual General Meeting on November 26 at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane, starting at 10 am.
This free, in-person event will cover significant updates and new initiatives, including:
- An update on the Wagyu Feeder Check 2.0 algorithm
- Full update on the AWA-PTP program across three breeding cohorts
- Launch of the 2025–2030 AWA Strategic Plan
- Changes to Selection Indexes and New Genomic Tools
AWA Selection Indexes:
The Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) is implementing changes to its Selection Indexes as follows:
- New parameters for AbacusBio Fullblood Wagyu Selection Indexes; leading to an
- Updated Wagyu Breeder Feeder Index based on new Fullblood parameters;
- New Fullblood Terminal Index based on new Fullblood parameters and change to AbacusBio economic models; and
- New F1 Terminal Index based on new F1 parameters and change to AbacusBio economic models.
Genomic Inbreeding and Genomic Diversity:
The AWA Board has approved new genomic tools that utilize Wagyu genotype data to provide accurate inbreeding and genetic diversity measures:
- Genomic Inbreeding: Which is calculated from analyzing runs of homozygosity (blocks of DNA with no allelic variance) using genomic profiles; and
- Genomic Diversity: Which is calculated by comparing the SNP by SNP variation across an animals entire genomic profile against that of the current female breeding population.
The AWA Annual General Meeting will take place at 3 pm. Following the AGM, all guests are invited to join the AWA team and board for a dinner sponsored by Rangers Valley at 6:30 pm.