CHAIRMAN'S UPDATE DECEMBER 2015

UPDATE TO MEMBERS FROM WBA CHAIRMAN MIKE TUCKER

Please find below an edited version of the Chairman's Update sent to Members on 24th December. 

INTRODUCTION

The Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) now has a full year of ‘trading’ behind it as a company in its own right and, looking back, I think we can all be proud of what has been achieved in such a relatively short time. WBA has grown to become an organisation of over 40 Members, has strong partnerships in place with the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA), Caisley and TL Biolabs with an industry-leading registration and DNA Interface and has its sights set on ambitious growth for the Wagyu breed in the next 5-10 years. 

FINANCES

The WBA has managed to break even to the end of 2015 but this is thanks in large part to the interest-free loans made by the Directors to help put the Association on the road as the first new UK Breed Society in over 20 years.

Going forward, we have put a budget in place to cover our outgoings in the next 1-2 years (2016 & 2017) and then to hopefully make a small surplus in years 3-5 that we can plough back into WBA activity. The first target for 2016 is to double the number of Members and put through 500+ registrations (rising to 1,000 in 2017). Whilst ambitious, we believe it is also achievable given the momentum that Wagyu is generating within the industry, the extremely cost-effective £15 commercial registration, and with your enthusiasm and continued support.

DAY-TO-DAY RUNNING OF WBA

Richard Saunders will continue in the role of Company Secretary with WBA Director Jim Bloom’s Warrendale business taking on much of the financial administration and website/social media at no charge to WBA. I am personally extremely grateful to Jim for this generous offer which represents a sizeable cost saving and will help the Association to continue its important work.

MEMBERSHIP

The ongoing viability of WBA very much depends on the above membership projections being achieved both in terms of Full Members (generally speaking with cattle to register) as well as ‘Friends of WBA’ taken from the wider agricultural and food industry. You will also be aware that WBA was set up to include not only England, Scotland and Wales but also Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and I am pleased to report that we have a number of Members now from Ireland. As mentioned in my August Update, in due course the WBA will look at expanding its Board to incorporate representatives from all countries.

REGISTRATIONS & INTERFACE

Key to the success of WBA in terms of both income and making a mark on the beef industry, is securing a big leap in the numbers of commercial registrations going forward. The pedigree side is, of course, still very important in terms of dissemination of genetics at the ‘top of the pyramid’ but, as a pedigree breeder myself with relatively few animals, it is the rise in crossbred, Wagyu-sired registrations over the next 5-10 years that will put us firmly on the map.

The Directors have looked again at the £40+VAT commercial registration figure and decided that it was a barrier to securing significant numbers of registrations from commercial farmers. From 2016 therefore, a commercial registration will be available at a cost of £15+VAT to include registration and tag (but without DNA sire verification) for animals registered through the WBA Interface from 1st January. Instead of compulsory DNA sire verification, the DNA sample will be stored and subjected to random DNA sire verification by TL Biolabs.

Please note, the £40 commercial registration (registration, tag and DNA) will remain as an option to those breeders wishing to sire verify their Wagyu crossbred stock but will not be compulsory. Please note further that the £50+VAT pedigree registration fee will remain in place with DNA parentage verification (both sire and dam) required by ourselves and AWA to complete the registration process.

Jonathan Shepherd of Yorkshire Wagyu (YW) has been instrumental in helping put together the Interface and I would like to record my thanks to him here as well as YW’s commitment to put all their registrations through it. I am pleased to note that two of the larger Wagyu enterprises (Highland Wagyu and Natural Wagyu) have also committed to register all their animals through the WBA Interface which will help give WBA that all-important firm financial footing.

The WBA Interface built by Fred Turner of TL Biolabs was launched on 1st September has seen quite a good uptake by Members but, as with any new system, myself and a number of other Members have needed some ‘hand-holding’! There are many fantastic advantages to this industry-leading online portal which links Members’ holdings automatically through to BCMS and allows quick and easy registration and invoicing so I would respectfully ask that you continue to help us get this right and working for you the Member.

We have seen quite a lot of animals come out of the woodwork which are to all intents and purposes ‘Purebred’ Wagyu but do not have the required paperwork or profiles to make them ‘Fullblood’. AWA has said that a Wagyu Content Test is at the prototype stage which will potentially allow animals with ‘missing’ papers to be registered as an F3 so that the next cross with a registered sire would be Purebred F4. This would be a much better and faster method to maximise Wagyu genetics rather than grading up from a base female.

Some of these registration issues have been compounded by the technology behind DNA. In short, there are two methods: STR (Microsatellites) and SNP (SNiP) but the two are unfortunately NOT interchangeable. Generally speaking, the industry is moving towards the newer SNP technology as it is both cheaper, more accurate and allows genomic testing to be carried out. However, many DNA profiles are still historically in the STR format. The industry is therefore at a bit of a crossroads but in due course these issues should be ironed out once profiles are in place for each Fullblood sire and dam. Profiles can usually be extracted from samples such as tissue, semen or blood and the good news is that they only need to be done once! It nevertheless means, at least in the short to medium term, extra work and some additional DNA testing cost. Whilst the onus is inevitably on the breeder to provide all the information required by WBA & AWA to allow a Wagyu registration, we will do all we can to help Members register their animals.

Fred Turner has worked extremely hard to iron out any glitches but it is true to say he has had his work cut out locating DNA profiles from various sires and dams around the world which - as mentioned above - may come sometimes in STR or sometimes in SNP format. This is not really his job and he has certainly gone the extra mile to help breeders. Could I therefore urge all Members to send in all profiles (both STR & SNP) of Wagyu sires and dams they may have in their possession to facilitate registration of progeny? On a positive note, there is now a protocol in place between the various international Wagyu associations for sharing DNA and pedigree information so the situation is expected to improve.

Could I also ask that any Member who has not as yet logged into the Interface please to do so? You should have received an introductory email in early September with full log-in details and temporary password. If you need this re-sending, please email Richard Saunders at info@britishwagyu.co.uk and we will send this out again. Please note also that free Caisley tag applicators are available to the first 20 Members who register cattle through the Interface.

SUMMARY

In closing, I would like to thank you for your continuing support of the Wagyu Breeders Association and remain at your disposal to answer any questions you may have. May I remind you that January 1st sees the start of a new financial year for the WBA so it is planned that subscription invoices for £200+VAT will go out early in the New Year. 

I believe the £15 commercial registration represents tremendous value-for-money and goes a long way to ensuring the traceability and integrity required by both your own individual business as well as the wider Wagyu and beef industry. Our aim must surely be to maintain Wagyu as a value-added ‘premium’ brand which has the potential to really break the mould in terms of taste, eating quality and very importantly financial return. If we can all work together and get as many registrations put through the Interface as possible we can make a giant stride towards achieving our ambitious goals for British and Irish Wagyu.

Thank you,

Mike Tucker

WBA Chairman

 

 

 

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WARM WAGYU WELCOME AT AGRI-EXPO FRI 30 OCTOBER

An invitation is extended to all existing or prospective Wagyu breeders, chefs, hoteliers, wholesalers, retailers, butchers and farm shops to visit the Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) stand at Borderway Agri-Expo to be held at Rosehill, Carlisle, CA1 2RS on Friday 30th October 2015 from 9am to 5pm. Come and find out 'what all the fuss is about' British Wagyu and learn more about the cattle, the beef and the Association. We are pleased to welcome Fred Turner from TL Biolabs, the designer of the recently-launched Wagyu tag, registration and DNA Interface, to the stand 10am-1pm to talk to breeders about this exciting new development in terms of meat traceability and integrity. We look forward to seeing you there!

INNOVATIVE BEEF BUSINESS WINS 'PITCH TO THE EXPERTS' COMPETITION

The team behind The Yorkshire Wagyu Company is celebrating after winning £10,000 worth of business support in a national competition.

The Driffield, East Yorkshire-based beef enterprise was invited to pitch to a panel of judges at The Food Entrepreneur Show after reaching the final of The Artisan Food Trail's ‘Pitch to the Experts’ competition last month.

Director Jonathan Shepherd (pictured) is delighted with the win: "This is a high-profile award and we were very proud just to be shortlisted - we never dreamed that we would win!

"As a new business, winning £10,000 of mentoring plus sales, marketing, finance and legal advice is invaluable and will help us to take The Yorkshire Wagyu Company to the next level."

The Artisan Food Trail co-founder and creative director of design agency, childsdesign, Graham Childs, said: "We had over 90 entries to the competition and shortlisted six of the most promising food related businesses.

"Jonathan and his team gave a very polished pitch and clearly demonstrated the potential growth opportunities for their business. The judges all agreed that The Yorkshire Wagyu Company was very different to the other entries and quite unique in terms of its product and business model."

The Artisan Food Trail was founded by Graham Childs and his wife, Lisa to provide support to artisan food and drink producers throughout the UK.

Yorkshire Wagyu Opens Farm Gates for first Chefs' Open Day

Around 30 delegates from the world of food and farming enjoyed a 'Wonders of Wagyu' themed event at The Yorkshire Wagyu Company’s first Chefs’ Open Day held on Monday 21st September at Field House Farm, Tibthorpe,  Driffield, East Yorkshire.

Visitors to Jonathan Shepherd’s Yorkshire Wolds farm were able to discover first-hand the rich, intense flavour of British Wagyu beef with its succulent natural marbling, as well as learn about the healthy-eating properties of Wagyu. They were introduced to the UK’s most prolific Full Blood Wagyu bull, Blackgold Mikado, who has sired more than 8,000 calves so far in his lifetime.

Yorkshire Wagyu is run jointly by Jonathan together with another local farmer Jim Bloom and is one of the largest Wagyu operations in Britain. Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) Company Secretary Richard Saunders was also in attendance and he talked about the unique animal registration and branded 'British Wagyu' tagging system which has been put in place to ensure complete traceability and guaranteed provenance of British Wagyu tagged beef. The scientifically robust yet easy-to-use ear tagging system was then demonstrated by Yorkshire Wagyu's on-farm vet Jono Cooper .

Delegates, who had travelled from as far as Northamptonshire to be at the Chefs' Open Day, then enjoyed a delicious Wagyu burger lunch accompanied by locally-brewed beer from the Wold Top Brewery.

Coinciding with the beginning of 'British Food Fortnight', the event also saw the launch of a 'Friends of WBA' Membership priced at £50+VAT and aimed at chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs, farm shops, butchers, retailers and wholesalers who wish to be part of a growing and dynamic Wagyu industry in Britain and Ireland.

Further information on, and how to become, a 'Friend of the Wagyu Breeders Association' will be available very soon on www.britishwagyu.co.uk.

27,500 EURO IN-CALF HEIFER TOPS EUROPEAN WAGYU GALA

300 Guests from 15 Countries Attend Gala Dinner Open Day Attracts 1,000+ Visitors
 

The inaugural European Wagyu Gala held in Muenster, Germany from Friday 11th to Saturday 12th September 2015, saw the Fullblood in-calf Wagyu heifer Ms Dai Da La top the sale on the Saturday afternoon at 27,500 euro (£19,643) for breeder Christian Niewoehner, Melle. By the outcross sire Hero 3658, the December 2013-born embryo calf Ms Dai Da La is out of the four-year-old cow WWSG 576 who had earlier sold for the joint second leading price of 21,000 euro. Sold in-calf to Shigeshigetani 542, she was purchased by Mr Zilvinas Zilinskas, Klaipeda, Lithuania, who later also snapped up other females at 18,200 & 13,200 euro respectively.

Hosted jointly by the German Wagyu Association & World Wide Sires Germany, the two-day European Wagyu Gala comprised of a Gala Dinner on the Friday at the nearby Moevenpick Hotel followed by an Open Day on the Saturday at the Wagyu Muensterland farm of Reinhard & Melanie Holtmann with the much-anticipated auction held late in the afternoon.

The Sale comprised 70 lots in all which met a 100% clearance. 27 heifers averaged an excellent 13,426 euro (almost £10,000 per head) with 33 embryos levelling at 1,285 euro – again a very good result. Overall, the auction grossed 449,600 euro equivalent to over £320,000 with purchasers coming from all over Europe.

Attending the Gala was Wagyu Breeders Association Company Secretary Richard Saunders who said: “The Gala was a tremendous success and underlines the huge demand for Wagyu genetics Europe-wide backed up by a massive surge in interest from consumers wishing to try Wagyu beef.”

Two females sold for 21,000 euro apiece. The first lot in the ring was the 2011-born cow, and mother of the top price, WWSG 576 sired by Hirashigetayasu 670 and out of the dam Misako 674, who sold with her April-born heifer calf at foot by Itomoritaka. The pair were consigned by joint sellers Wagyu Munsterland & WWS Germany and sold to Sigrid Keweloh of Haru Wagyu, Mutlangen. Two further daughters of WWSG 576 sold for 17,500 and 12,800 euro respectively.

The other selling at 21,000 euro – also from Wagyu Munsterland & WWS Germany - was Ms Takazakura 529, a July 2014-born heifer and embryo calf by the sire Takazakura, one of the original exports from Japan, and out of a dam by the noted Itozuru Doi. She sold to an undisclosed buyer.

Embryos sold to a top of 2,300 euro (three times) for a mating of the sireItoshigefuji and the dam Misako (by Michifuku) whilst embryo calves sold inside recipient dams made a top of 5,800 euro carrying the breeding of Takazakura and Ms Kitaguni.

Sale Averages

27 Females               13,426 euro

6 Bulls                        4,767 euro

33 Embryos               1,285 euro

4 Embryo Calves      4,025 euro

Please see below some further images from the European Wagyu Gala. 

 

WAGYU ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-LEADING INTERFACE

‘Three-in-one’ online facility provides unique registration, tagging and branding package

 

1st September 2015 saw the launch of the Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) Interface which provides Members with a bespoke online mechanism and a ‘three-in-one package’ of registration, branded tag and DNA verification for both Wagyu pure and crossbred cattle.

An industry-leading facility, it has been developed in partnership with TL Biolabs, the Australian Wagyu Association & Caisley Tags respectively to ensure lifetime traceability of Wagyu beef 'from farm to fork' through a DNA-verified, branded 'British Wagyu' ear tag which is unique to each individual animal.

Easy-to-use as well as being cost-effective, the Interface is fully linked to the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) database which allows farmers to view all cattle on their holding in real time. With a simple ‘click’ of the mouse, breeders select their Wagyu animals and this automatically generates an order for a ‘British Wagyu’ branded DNA tissue-punch ear tag which is despatched to the farmer by Caisley. Once the tag is inserted on-farm, it captures a small amount of ear tissue in a vial which is then sent back to TL Biolabs for DNA parentage verification.

“Both the ear tag and the vial carry the unique Ministry Number of the animal to ensure complete integrity of the beef product. This means the live animal or carcase can be checked at any point to prove it is Wagyu,” says Richard Saunders, WBA Company Secretary.

The system is unique within the industry in two ways: firstly, all crossbred and pedigree Wagyu animals, rather than just a sample batch, will be parentage checked; secondly, sample storage and testing is all handled ‘under one roof’ by TL Biolabs, who also provide the Interface, which means the system is quick and efficient.

For what is widely held as the world’s finest beef, provenance and consumer confidence are key to maintaining brand value and premiums for Wagyu beef. The new Interface captures and records all the required information in a robust and secure manner. “British Wagyu has built an easily-identifiable, high-value brand which is able to stand up to the highest scientific scrutiny,” adds Richard Saunders.

For full release please click here. 

Please click here to download accompanying image. 

WAGYU AT UNIVERSAL COOKERY & FOOD FESTIVAL 23rd SEPTEMBER

'The Story of British Wagyu’ will be one of the highlights at this year’s Universal Cookery and Food Festival (UCFF) to be held at
Vallum Farm, East Wallhouses, Newcastle Upon Tyne on Wednesday 23rd September 2015.

Held annually to celebrate everything good about food, over 300 delegates will be in attendance from across the food industry with a large majority being chefs from the hospitality sector. Wagyu Breeders Association Member Steve Ramshaw will be presenting ‘The Story of British Wagyu’ with a purebred Wagyu cow and calf alongside an Angus cow with a Wagyu-sired calf at foot focusing on improving the eating quality of beef. Steve will be emphasising the benefits of breeding Wagyu cattle to produce tender, fine-grained beef with high IMF to highlight the health benefits of this as a source of ‘good’ fat.

To find out more please follow link to www.cookeryandfoodfestival.com or Steve Ramshaw at www.wagyu-beef-direct.co.uk

 

Wagyu Interface Goes Live

Today (1st September) has seen the launch of the new Wagyu Breeders Association (WBA) Interface which provides Members with a bespoke online mechanism for registrations, tags and DNA verification of both Wagyu pure and crossbred cattle. An industry-leading facility, it has been built in partnership with TL Biolabs, the Australian Wagyu Association & Caisley Tags to ensure full traceability of Wagyu beef 'from farm to fork' through a DNA-verified, branded 'British Wagyu' ear tag which is unique to each individual animal. Members of the WBA will receive an email and temporary password to log in to the Interface which is both easy-to-use and cost-effective for breeders to use.

To access the Interface, please follow the 'HERDBOOK' link on the menu at the top of the website. 

Full press release to follow.