Ginjo Wagyu News

SOLD! Unique Ginjo Wagyu Fullblood Herd Shifts to Queensland

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 23:58:15 GMT

The internationally successful Ginjo Wagyu breeding herd and fullblood Wagyu genetics business has been purchased for an undisclosed sum by the Roma-based Hancock Family Trust, managed by Peter and Karen Hancock, of ‘Ardentrive’, via Roma.

The sale, into the heart of Australia’s Wagyu production country, was managed by Elders Wagyu specialist James Matts, for vendors Mike and Maggie Buchanan, of Tea Gardens and Gloucester, NSW.

The Ginjo herd is internationally renowned for large-framed Japanese Blacks bred for ‘pedigree equivalence’ with the mainstream of the Japanese commercial Wagyu market. Although herd development has relied substantially on Wagyu BREEDPLAN, with strong Index performance evident in the sale group; Ginjo selection has also been substantially influenced for well over a decade by Japanese commercial selection practices, which apply both national carcass EBVs and breed-specific expertise to focus on growth, yield and other traits in addition to marbling.

To emulate production outcomes and accomplish the target of ‘pedigree equivalence’ with the best Japanese Wagyu, Ginjo principals spent over a decade identifying and integrating rare Tottori/Kedaka genetics to create a core breeding group. Tottori genetics have shared production dominance in Japan since the 1960s, alongside Hyogo/Tajima strains, but are rare in the international herd beyond two famous foundation sires, Hirashigetayasu and Itomoritaka.

With all international foundation animals now believed dead, and no previous effort at the industry level to maintain rare resources, residual diversity of Tottori/Kedaka genetics was low in the Australian herd when the ‘gene recovery’ project begun. Most genetics recovered were from foundation generation females imported by Westholme Wagyu. A substantial core group is now established in the new Hancock ‘Ginjo’ herd.

In Australian pastoral conditions, this selection regime generally delivers enhanced maternal traits; and larger, more profitable fullblood calves with increased vitality and reduced morbidity.

A battery of ‘recessives free’ fullblood AI sires and genetics accompanies the sale; some sires being well established in the international marketplace, including one with over 1000 registered fullblood calves in Australia alone. A new generation of sires is due to be launched in coming months. Genetics have been sold worldwide for over a decade, with destinations including the Middle East, UK, EU, United States, Namibia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Mike Buchanan continues to breed Japanese Blacks through Buchanan Wagyu (AWA Identifier (BUC).

Japanese Wagyu Markets Summary - Update February 2018

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 06:13:54 GMT

Japanese National Calf Markets

February 2017 – February 2018

Analysis: Coming from historic highs in early 2017, Japanese Black national calf markets have drifted slightly lower but mostly sideways as the chart below indicates. Based on exchange rates in early March 2018, current prices for Japanese Black steer calves are around $AUD9750hd, with heifers around $7300hd.

Tokyo Carcass Price Trends

Jan 2014 – Jan 2018

This chart is in JP Yen/kg, and illustrates the linkage of price to JMGA grading. Using March 2018 currency exchange, JMGA top graded A5 steer carcasses are attracting $AUD35.54 per kilo in a rising market. Top grade A5 FB heifer carcasses are at $AUD32kg.

The carcass price has been rising steadily for four years, with only minor corrections.

North American News July – August 2016

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 05:55:30 GMT

US Wagyu Association Announces New Classifications For Fullblood Wagyu

Citing ‘issues and unfortunate misunderstandings’ relating to registration types and Wagyu definitions, the US Wagyu Association has announced sweeping changes in registry structure to ‘clarify the breed’ .

Given the increasing international occurrence of entrepreneurial ‘Western Wagyu’ sub-breeds, starting with ‘Purebreds’ and now including ‘Fullblood Red/Blacks’, ‘Polled Purebreds’ and ‘Shagyus’, the registry re-organisation appears both timely and essential.

Despite a weak overall beef market, US Wagyu seedstock sales remain strong and good customer understanding of the niche is important to maintained momentum.

According to a US Association statement, the American breed registry will be restructured as follows, with changes to be confirmed in a re-issued Association Handbook, under ‘Section 1 Rules’:

“ Fullblood Black Wagyu (FBB) – Animals registered in the Japanese Wagyu Herdbook and animals whose sire and dam are registered in the AWA Herdbook as 100% Fullblood Wagyu, and progeny of registered 100% Fullblood Wagyu parents are classified as Fullblood animals. These animals are primarily of “Black” color and are progeny of the three major black strains – Tajiri or Tajima, Fujiyoshi (Shimane) and Kedaka (Tottori) originating in Japan. All parentage is DNA verified by AWA or other AWA accepted methods.
“ Fullblood Red Wagyu (FBR) – Animals registered in the Japanese Wagyu Herdbook and animals whose sire and dam are registered in the AWA Herdbook as 100% Fullblood Wagyu, and progeny of registered 100% Fullblood Wagyu parents are classified as Fullblood animals. These animals are primarily of “Red” color and are progeny of the Japanese brown strains Kochi and Kumamoto. All parentage is DNA verified by AWA or other AWA accepted methods.
“ Fullblood Red/Black Cross Wagyu (FBRXB) – Animals registered in the Japanese Wagyu Herdbook and animals whose sire and dam are registered in the AWA Herdbook as 100% Fullblood Wagyu, and progeny of registered 100% Fullblood Wagyu parents are classified as Fullblood animals. These animals are of “Red or Black” color and are progeny of the three major black strains – Tajiri or Tajima, Fujiyoshi (Shimane) and Kedaka (Tottori) originating in Japan; and the Japanese brown strains Kochi and Kumamoto. All parentage is DNA verified by AWA or other AWA accepted methods.”
Purebred and percentage (Crossbred and Purebreed breeding up) Wagyu registrations shall remain the same/with no changes.

More News Briefs From North America

New US Carcass Camera : The US association is working on an ‘affordable’ new grading camera system, based a passive on-site camera unit which provides digital images via the web to an intelligent remote ‘backend’, which will provide the actual grading values. (Australia is also reviewing next options in carcass camera technology).
Questionable Registrations Review : More ‘biting the bullet’: An ongoing historical review of questionable US FB registrations is well underway. More to come.
US Assn 2016 Conference : Now scheduled for mid September 2016 in Couer d’Alene, Idaho. A beautiful lakeside resort close to the resources of the national American Wagyu HQ.

Japanese Wagyu Markets Summary - Update May 2016

Mon, 02 May 2016 05:23:02 GMT

Australian Live Export Trade To Japan

No news is possibly good news in relation to the suspended live trade in Australian F1 to Japan. High Japanese beef prices reflect shortages of local slaughter cattle, so there may be some economic incentive to re-open the trade once biosecurity issues are resolved.

Optimism is evident at the Australian end, with at least one major export house planning a debut in this segment, which Elders has now exited. However, availability of suitable F1 cattle in Australia is also tight, with most cattle committed forward.

Calf Market Report May 2016

Mind-boggling increases in the Japanese Black calf market have slowed after 10 months of consecutive increase. The May national average price of FB Black steer calves was 857,924 JPY, heifers 749,149 JPY. Lack of calf numbers in the market continues, so the price can be expected to take off again in the near future.

Japanese Wagyu Markets Summary - Update March 2016

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 05:47:14 GMT

Tokyo Champion Steer Highlights Genetic Potential of Japanese Black (cont.)

The 2015 Japanese National Carcass Competition winner is a ‘master class’ the value of breeding and feeding to the genetic potential of the Japanese Black. Overall, the 30moa champion steer carcass graded JMGA A5. JMGA BMS #12, carcass weight 575kg, yield 71.4%. Price: JP¥6,948,875, or about $AUD82,076. How does this carcass performance compare to Australian production ?

First, the winner was from Matsunaga Farm in Shimane Prefecture. Sire Mitsuhirateru is of more than 90% Hyogo bloodlines, while dam analysis reveals ~33% identifiable Hyogo bloodlines, making this steer about 63% Hyogo (or ‘Tajima’ in Australia). This affirms a current swing in Japanese breeding back to a mid-1990s-style ‘crush’ on Hyogo, correcting a Tottori emphasis evident less than a decade ago. (These ‘corrective swings’ can be seen in Japanese prefectural selection since the 1960s, see bar chart below.)

From a Western perspective, what is familiar about the breeding ? About 25% of the dam-side pedigree of the winning steer is not publicised, but Yasufuku 165-9 features as a grandparent in both sire and dam. Kitaguni 7/8 is the other dam grandsire.

So from a prefectural/pedigree analysis perspective, this champion resembles many contemporary Australian FB feeders. The general difference perhaps is that the real genetic potential of the Japanese feeder is fully realised, whereas environmental impacts (most likely nutritional/economic ‘short-cuts’) may effectively set back many Australian feeders, which finish as much smaller carcasses with reduced marbling.

The lack of equivalent grading systems makes exact carcass comparison impossible, but does this ‘genetic potential’ explanation account for the massive difference between Japanese carcass performance relative to average Australian fullblood (Japanese Black) production – as revealed in much Australian carcass data collection so far ?

In publicised Australian data collection summaries, average marble scores for FB carcasses are Aus-Meat BMS 7~8, which Japanese and CSIRO-published research (see study details here ) describes as at best equivalent to JMGA BMS #3~4 (Tokyo 2015 Champion = JMGA BMS #12). Average Australian FB carcass weights are <420kg (Tokyo Champion: 575kg). However, we are also aware of Australian FB carcass weights over 530kg at the (highest locally available marble score) Aus-Meat BMS9 being recorded from feeding (DOF) periods of 600~650 days, which is equivalence with Japanese standard DOF.

Nonetheless, it is the Australian production carcass averages, from a small (but generous) range of data suppliers, that create the foundations for Australian measurement and ranking systems. Despite a complete absence of independent Australian field trial data to use as a benchmark, and despite broad awareness that individual feedlot regime variation is a fact of Australian fullblood production .

So what distortions might occur if underlying local production systems (and, inevitably, subsequent sire rankings) are managed solely to achieve a truncated economic/quality (carcass) target, without attempt to fulfill the full genetic potential of the feeder ? For example, in feeding a very high barley ration for <400 days for a Aus-Meat BMS #9/CWT <400kg carcass. Perhaps the result is a significant accumulation of seam fat and other negative meat quality impacts which are not assessed at all in the Australian (Aus-Meat) grading system ?

Clearly, this type of production is not striving to achieve ‘genetic potential’ results. Does use of the resulting data result in a distorted performance ranking system ? And lead in addition to industry breeding guidelines which are truly relevant only to ranking within a specific ‘economic target system’ rather than a comprehensive, breed ‘genetic potential target’ production system ?

After all, comparing the pedigrees, the genetic potential of Australian Japanese Blacks and those reared in Japan does not appear likely to be anything near as dissimilar as the actual results we see in real comparative carcass performance. Especially in such a case as the 2015 Tokyo National Carcass champion.

2015 National Carcass Competition in Tokyo

Grand Champion – MATSUNAGA FARM (Shimane)

Sire – MITSUHIRATERU
DAM’s SIRE – YASUFUKUHISA
DAM’s G/SIRE – KITAGUNI 7-8
AGE – 30 month
Carcass Weight – 575kg
REA – 130cm ³
BMS No.– 12
Carcass Grade – A5
Yield = 71.4%
Price – JPY 6,948,875

Japanese Wagyu Markets Summary - Update January 2016

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 05:03:24 GMT

‘Kobe’ and ‘Tajima’ achieve initial GI approval

As expected, the descriptor ‘Kobe Beef’ has been afforded GI (Geographical Indicator) protection under Japan’s revised 2015 GI legislation (See December Japan Update on this site). The descriptor ‘Tajima’ has also been granted GI status in Japan. Both descriptors are now to be used exclusively in association with Wagyu beef produced within Hyogo Prefecture.

The impact is similar to ‘champagne’ nomenclature protection in the EU and broader international markets, and means that producers in other prefectures will not be able to use these descriptors for local Wagyu beef products. The descriptor Tajima is drawn from a key historical Wagyu production district of rural Hyogo, while Kobe is a leading international Wagyu beef brand sourced from the Hyogo city of the same name. The GI status is readily achieved in Hyogo as this is now the only Japanese prefecture with an entirely ‘own breeding’ closed herd. The Government of Japan is expected to apply for the international extension of local GI protection for the two Wagyu trade names in key markets around the world from 2016. Other initiatives appear likely.

‘Kobe’ and ‘Tajima’ achieve initial GI approval
New Japanese Wagyu Marketing, Web Sites, Packing Facilities and Export Targets
January 2015 Japanese Calf and Carcass Results
2015 National Carcass Competition in Tokyo

New Japanese Wagyu Marketing, Web Sites, Packing Facilities and Export Targets

In complementary activity, the Government of Japan has established two new English-language web sites providing information on Japanese produced Wagyu beef and related systems. See: http://jlec-pr.jp/beef.html and http://jlec-pr.jp/beef/control-system.html .

Key messages in the ramping campaign include:

Japanese Wagyu Beef is 100% traceable
Japanese Wagyu is graded by the Japanese Meat Grading System (JMGA) which is more reliable any competitive grading regime
Resultantly, Japanese Wagyu quality is more consistent than that from any other source

Historical and target export tonnages ex Japan have been published as follows, with projections of an export doubling in the next four years:

2012 – 863MT
2013 – 909MT
2014 – 1251MT
2016 – 1800MT (Prediction)
2020 – 4000MT (Prediction)

To support the export drive, the Government of Japan has now licensed export packaging facilities for individual national markets as follows:

USA – 10 (facilities)
Canada – 8
Hong Kong – 10
UAE – 2
Macao – 58
Thai – 52
EU – 4
Mexico – 7
Philippine – 7
Myanmar – 34
Singapore – 10
Vietnam – 57

January 2015 Japanese Calf and Carcass Results

Overview: The Japanese calf market remains very strong due to lack of calf numbers with carcass prices driving high demand for replacement cattle.

The Japanese carcass market was also very strong going into the end of a year of high beef demand. There are only small gaps between grade and the price was be expected to rise into the Dec’15 trade.

2015 National Carcass Competition in Tokyo

Grand Champion – MATSUNAGA FARM (Shimane)

Sire – MITSUHIRATERU
DAM’s SIRE – YASUFUKUHISA
DAM’s G/SIRE – KITAGUNI 7-8
AGE – 30 month
Carcass Weight – 575kg
REA – 130cm ³
BMS No.– 12
Carcass Grade – A5
Yield = 71.4%
Price – JPY 6,948,875

Japanese Wagyu Markets Summary - Update December 2015

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 04:33:00 GMT

National Japanese Black Calf Market

15 November 2015

The Japanese Black calf market is very buoyant due to livestock shortages, with strong carcass prices driving high demand for replacement feeder cattle.
Record Hyogo prefecture calf pricing is significantly higher than other prefectural markets due to specific demand for calves qualified for the “KOBE BEEF” branded channel, with product mainly destined for export.

National Japanese Carcass Market Summary

September 2015

September 2015 national carcass markets saw Japanese Black fullblood pricing continuing well ahead of 2014 performance.

American Wagyu Association Conference Auction Highlights – October 2015

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 06:46:50 GMT

Ocala, Florida, USA

US Wagyu seedstock prices continue to be the envy of Australian breeders, although the gap is narrowing.

Highlights included:

Sires to $USD10,000. Top price WSI Dai 2 Sanjirou, a six-year-old Michifuku son, bred in Ontario, Canada, sold to Waterford, Republic of Ireland. A four-year-old Hirashigetayasu son for $USD9750, and an 18-month-old JVP Kikuyasu 400 son to $USD7500.
Dams to $USD20,000. Top female by TF148 Itoshigenami, at $USD20,000, a seven year old bred in Ontario Canada and sold to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Outstanding females ranged from $USD10,000 to $USD14,500. Leading vendors from Canada and Switzerland well represented..
Embryo packages to $USD11,400 (6 embryos. Shigefuku J1822 x CHR MS Kitaguni 398)
Semen to $USD2200 straw (Tamamaru) in a strong genetics market.

Prescott Gets a Visit from Alexander’s Steakhouse – October 2015

Sun, 04 Oct 2015 05:43:47 GMT

Back home at Prescott, we were lucky enough to get a visit from a young executive at renowned Alexander’s Steakhouse, Cupertino, CA (home of Apple Computer).

Derek Biazo is relatively young guy but he is every bit the executive chef. Alexander’s is a very upscale restaurant with several locations around the country which naturally features Wagyu beef.

As a professional should, Derek differentiates between F-1’s and fullbloods on his menu. He explains that his customer base is diverse and while many of his customers appreciate the typical American cuts, he does have a solid number of customers who appreciate the more highly marbled Japanese presentation.

Not only does he differentiate between F-1’s, and fullblooAWFds, but his depth of knowledgeof the breed itself was equally impressive. He asked questions about the lineage of both my bulls, and cows.

He mentioned his preference for Tajima, and offered an opinion on the different Japanese prefectures as to their product. Derek likes to be able to discuss intelligently everything on his menu.

He feels that it helps put his customers at ease and ultimately makes the restaurant more responsive to his customer’s desires. A clear message to breeders here: make sure you can do the same when it comes to discussing your cattle.

From Across the Big Pond – October 2015

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 05:39:27 GMT

Over here is a bit of current controversy over the dialogue on the internet among wagyu breeders. It’s the same in any area, I suppose, where people sharing common interests in the social media begin to think their conversations are private and not open to the world.

We’ve run into some dialogue on Wagyu group Facebook chats that apparently send quite different messages from those intended when read by inquiring “outsiders”.

It probably is good advice to not write anything on the web that you don’t subsequently want to see published on the front page of the New York Times or I suppose the Sydney Herald.

The major upcoming event is the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, in January, which is possibly the biggest stock show in the United States.

The American Wagyu Association (also known as ‘AWA’) will have a Wagyu presence there, not only with our regular “halter” show but with a promotional booth at the Trade Show.

We were very fortunate to be able to get a booth at the trade show as the waiting list is quite long and we’ve been trying to get on for several years.

This should be an excellent opportunity to reach out to commercial breeders and the general public to let them know about Wagyu. If you’re planning on visiting this show bring plenty of clothes and plan on dressing warm as Denver in January can be a bit on the chilly side.

Milk Powder Prices Pressure Japanese Calf Production

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 05:35:09 GMT

Japan’s English-language web agri-newspaper reports that local prices of stock feed skim milk powder (JP¥10K/1kg) have hit record highs, where they are projected to remain, with a ‘grave impact’ on the Japanese Wagyu calf feeding industry.

Most Japanese Wagyu producers wean calves from one week of age, replacing dam feeding with skim milk substitutes until 3 months of age. Calves are frequently fed in centralised agricultural co-op (JAs) feeding facilities, which house up to 500 head and may use up to 30 tons of skim milk powder annually.

The skim milk cost blowout – prices have nearly doubled in a decade – is a production economics threat to national Wagyu herd growth targets set by the Japanese Government.

Kobe Beef Applies for ‘Appellation Style’ GI protection in Japan

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 04:41:58 GMT

The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (GAIN Report JA5031) reported that the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) received a Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association application for the establishment of a Kobe Beef Geographical Indication (GI) on August 21, 2015, under the provisions of a new, June 2015 Japanese Act for the Protection of Designated Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Foodstuffs.

According to USDA, the Japanese Govt is not permitting the registration of “wagyu” as a GI, as wagyu refers to a group of cattle breeds rather than a specific product from a specific geographic location.

As far back as 2007, the US Govt advised MAFF that it opposed the granting of GI status to ‘wagyu’ as wagyu products were genetically rather than geographically defined, and not limited to Japanese production.

Kobe Beef is exclusively from fullblood Japanese Black wagyu cattle bred and fed only in Hyogo Prefecture. The Kobe GI application will take at least three months to process.

The Government of Japan established the new GI system as a protection for what are perceived to be unique Japanese agricultural brands. Japanese GIs successfully registered under the local Act are not enforceable overseas, but successful applicants are seen as likely to use the process as a stepping stone to a quest for international GI recognition.

The modified Japanese GI regime is also more compliant than earlier trademark protections in the context of international GI regulation, giving new Japanese GI’s greater prospects for global endorsement.

Australian 2014 Research EBVs & New Dr Keigo Kuchida Charts

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 06:13:58 GMT

Although Japanese EBVs are based exclusively on carcass data and include no live animal measurements, the 2014 Australian Research EBVs stand out as a breakthrough in Western production of Japanese Blacks – the first time ANY Australian/international Wagyu EBVs have been based on actual carcass results.

Critical: because in no other cattle breed is accurate prediction of carcass outcomes as economically important. The foremost objective remains accurate estimation of marble score or intramuscular fat (%IMF) – the single most important Wagyu carcass value determinant. Growth/carcass weight is the second most economically important trait.

However, there are several steps to go to achieve demonstrated carcass parity in the highly competitive global market in which most Australian FB Wagyu product is distributed. Crucial traits measured by the competing Japanese Meat Grading (JMGA) system include yield, marbling fineness, REA, texture, fat colour and more, some entirely missing from the AUS-MEAT ‘language’ currently used for most Australian FB carcass assessment.

The AUS-MEAT Co-Relation Illusion In FB Carcass Assessment

First, consideration is given to a potential ‘misrepresentation’ that arises directly from the first stage of the GEBV project. This is founded in early research correlations established between Australian (AUS-MEAT) chiller assessment MS1-9 marble scores and the lower levels of the new Research EBV marbling measurement values – expressed as % Marbling Percentage (CCMP -Camera Carcass Marbling Percentage) scores.

These were acquired with purpose-built Japanese digital camera technology, designed by Professor K. Kuchida, in the first stage of the genomic project carcass study, and the camera use is ongoing in the project. The same technology is used in Japanese home market carcass grading.

Under standard AUS-MEAT assessment, good XB Wagyu marble scores average around AUS-MEAT MS4-6, infrequently higher, with FBs most commonly at the top MS9 value. However, the inadequacy of AUS-MEAT to measure the higher levels of FB Wagyu marbling is such that the entire upper 30% range of CCMP values is necessarily condensed down into just one available score: AUS-MEAT MS 9.

When this approach is used simplistically and without detailed explanation, as in the 2014 Sire Summary, a graphic/table representation suggests that XB carcass marbling outcomes (with accompanying much reduced $$ production inputs) successfully compete with fullblood carcasses.

In the 2014 Research EBVs Sire Summary document, this deception is exacerbated by the apparent inclusion of purebred and XB carcass data throughout the listings, then compounded by the unexplained inclusion at high ranking of a number of sires/progeny carcasses with no CCMP (camera image) records, but only truncated AUS-MEAT carcass assessment data.

Obviously, the inclusion of these non-camera records in the Summary is solely enabled by the use of AUS-MEAT values for marbling rankings. The outcome is a questionable (marbling capability) ranking of sires. All this when an unquestionable CCMP ranking would have been readily enabled by using the (CCMP) camera image values published in an adjacent column.

Subsequent to the publication of the Australian 2014 Sire/Dam Summary, Professor Keigo Kuchida, the previously-mentioned Japanese inventor of the digital imaging technology (including CCMP) used for the GEBV study, provided us with a series of graphics which he suggests more accurately represent comparative AUS-MEAT and digital camera analysis capabilities in assessing Japanese Black carcass performance. Professor Kuchida is also corresponding co-author of a recent CSIRO-published paper on Australian Wagyu marbling, which details AUS-MEAT MS limitations relative to CCMP. (See Maeda, Grose et al, 2014, CSIRO ).

The photography above clearly illustrates the 30% range of marbling percentage (CCMP) condensed into the single AUS-MEAT MS 9 value in standard Australian chiller assessment. All Australian FB marble scores are currently ‘dumbed down’ in this fashion by AUS-MEAT assessment through no fault of the system itself – it simply was not designed to assess Wagyu.

To provide a benchmark for comparative XB vs FB marbling performance in an environment where measurement systems are capable of addressing the range of marbling expressed, Professor Kuchida provided the following chart from the Japanese market, where the XB component comprises Holstein-cross feeders. Japanese JMGA BMS No’s 1-12 replace AUS-MEAT MS 1-9, but the CCMP (%camera marbling) remains constant.

The chart shows the XB carcasses competing relatively strongly in single trait camera IMF% (marble score) with Japanese fullbloods across a significant range. However, what the chart does NOT show is positioning in the context of relative, overall JMGA grading.

When all other JMGA trait measurements are taken into account, no Japanese XB carcass will grade above JMGA Grade B5. For the neither the careful producer nor the discriminating consumer, comparative overall quality is simply not there in XB breeding. For a look at how this translates into market $$$ value, see What’s a Wagyu Worth on this site.

Professor Kuchida also offered a further chart from his Australian Wagyu herd research, which compares local FB CCMP with Japanese achievement and is therefore highly relevant to Australian FB selection strategies for new locally bred seedstock generations:

This a direct IMF%/marble score comparison of Australian fullblood carcasses with Japanese market fullblood carcasses with CCMP vertical axis and a JMGA BMS horizontal axis. The available sample of Australian fullbloods in the Kuchida study did not achieve the IMF % levels of Japanese carcasses.

This suggests current difficulty in identifying internationally superior marbling stock for selection within local Australian herds, and also possibly the impact of ration and DOF experimentation to manage costs in the current Australian FB production environment.

If nationally typical, the data shows that despite comparable genetics, Australian FB production is not so far achieving peak Japanese %IMF levels. As previously mentioned, Australian carcasses are not even being measured on most/other JMGA parameters such as fineness. So it might be argued that what the GEBV project has measured to date is a ‘way point’ in the development of the Australian fullblood industry – possibly a dangerous place for permanent benchmarks.

Which is where we identify the final difficulty relating to the ongoing use of AUS-MEAT MS in the local Wagyu industry, and that lies in any suggestion that because of a GEBV project identification of a strong relationship between camera IMF% and AUS-MEAT MS, the local industry should simply hang its hat for future ‘grading’ on the current parameters of AUS-MEAT assessment. This might be a harbinger of disaster for the fullblood sector.

More discussion of new vs original generation EBVs, Japanese camera data is available below.