TEN-YEAR TREND REVEALS HUGE GROWTH OF BRITISH WAGYU

TEN-YEAR TREND REVEALS HUGE GROWTH OF BRITISH WAGYU

  • Figures double year-on-year

  • 35,550 births in 2023 compared to 17,083 in 2022

 Figures released by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) for 2023 show that British Wagyu, known for its highly marbled premium beef, has more than doubled its numbers on the year. The figures, for beef cattle born in England, Scotland & Wales, reveal over 35,000 Wagyu-sired calves were born in 2023. Of these, 33347 were crossbred (sired by a Wagyu bull) and 2203 Purebred or Fullblood - totalling 35,550 head of Wagyu animals when compared to 17,083 in 2022.

Wagyu crossbred calves sporting their British Wagyu-branded tags

Wagyu Crossbred Births 2023 - Source BCMS

Wagyu Purebred/Fullblood Births 2023 - Source BCMS

With a decade of BCMS figures now available, the ten-year trend is one of huge growth. Just 2,405 Wagyu-sired calves were born in 2014 compared to 35,550 10 years later with the breed now representing 1.8% of the circa 1.9 million beef-sired calves born in Great Britain annually.

British Wagyu Total GB Births 2014-2023 - Source BCMS

 Says WBA Director Chris Dickinson: “Consumer demand for the world’s luxury beef shows no sign of slowing and it’s great to see British Wagyu numbers continuing to grow year-on-year. The profile of the breed has risen dramatically over the past decade and it is the easy-care nature of the cattle combined with a premium return that has attracted so many new farmers and breeders. It also taps into the expansion of beef from the dairy herd backed by integrated beef schemes like Warrendale’s. British Wagyu has become a significant player in the UK beef industry and as both a Wagyu producer and British Wagyu Association Director there is still great potential ahead.”

 The figures are backed by a British Wagyu quality assured branded beef scheme now entering its third year alongside MIJ (Meat Image Japan) carcase camera technology which takes digital images from the cut ribeye surface to objectively measure marbling score, marbling fineness and ribeye area giving an overall DMs (Digital Marble Score) for each body of beef.

 NOTES:

GB Totals 2014-2023

2405 (2014), 5699 (2019), 9435 (2020), 13457 (2021), 17083 (2022), 35550 (2023)