The saying “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty and persistence. This saying, by Colin Powell definitely applies to the Wagyu producer. Every cloud has a silver lining and a recent newsletter from Australia mentions that the last year (2020) was the most difficult in their history but that the market has recovered to such an extent that today there is an 80% premium on F1 weaner calves.

Whilst this is not yet the case in South Africa a small group of dedicated farmers literally broke the market open in extremely difficult circumstances to the Middle East and while Wagyu is appearing on the shelves at an increasing rate of trade, there will also be major announcements in the South African market within the next two months that will significantly increase the market for slaughter oxen.

The South African market has been a commodity market for the past 100 years, i.e. red meat is sold in high volumes at the cheapest price with a minimum carcass quality. Our Wagyu CEO and previous chairman has literally visited three of the four major retailers over the past six months. While the rollout of Wagyu is happening slower than expected, all the traders are looking at how they can focus on the high value meat market, where eating experience plays a big role. A major concern is the value chain’s ability to supply Wagyu slaughter oxen to the market on a constant basis. With some big announcements that will be happening soon, we strongly encourage you to put large numbers of bulls between the cows or to inseminate the cows. Our larger Wagyu farmers are already doing this.

Covid rules will be very strictly enforced, but we hope to have at least 100 people at the Congress. The congress will be presented both in-person and virtually. No lectures will be presented this year. However, we will rather focus on our fantastic product and have fun together. The theme is “Let’s celebrate Wagyu meat”. We will try and get Prof Dale Woerner to attend, as well as our own South Africans who have fallen in love with the product. They will again use the carcass to demonstrate the different products and the meat cuts will be put straight onto the fire. The congress will be presented in the morning between 09h00 and 13h00 whereafter the auction will take place. We will also have a Wagyu function and dinner that evening and offer several Wagyu prizes. We also trust that you have obtained your first vaccination!

After nearly six months of negotiation, we have finalised our agreement with CPG, SAMIC and the Department of Agriculture regarding the CWB audits. The intention is and has always been to provide our CWB members with a Registered Quality Indication Mark (claim and protocol) that is credible yet cost effective. The retail sector and producers are used to these audits for products such as natural beef, grass-fed beef, karoo lamb etc. The Wagyu “claim” is something new to Wagyu breeders however and I believe we have negotiated a system that is fair to everyone, including the retailers. The protocol and audit document needs to include the latest changes and will be distributed to all producers within the next few days.

For Wagyu to work, their needs to be a significant premium that allows producers to afford the audit costs. Developments in our Wagyu industry over the last six months is finally adding the value to the carcass that enables these costs to be absorbed by the producer.

Omdat baie van ons telers se diere by Morgan is, besoek die kantoor Morgan om op ‘n gereelde basis te sorg dat die voerkraal aan die CWB protokol voldoen. Ons gee as volg terugvoer:

• Genootskap oorplaaitjie (RFID) nou 100% in werking. Die kantoor het dit self getoets. Morgan gebruik die nuwe Gigalot sagteware wat beide die genootskap oorplaaitjie asook hulle eie “High Frequency” oorplaaitjie (voerkraal vriendelik vir hoë volume diere) kan hanteer.
• Morgan sal slegs diere aanvaar wat deel is van die CWB protokol.
• Morgan sal geensins diere toelaat wat nie aan die protokol voldoen nie. U diere sal nie afgelaai word nie;
• Slegs osse wat voor 5 maande gekastreer is asook verse sal aanvaar word.
  • Indien nie korrek gekastreer, sal Morgan ‘n veearts kry om die dier te kastreer op die boer se koste (insluitend arbeid);
• Ten minste 30 diere vanaf ‘n boer om ‘n kraal van 50-60 diere op te maak (moet dus bereid wees om met ander boere ‘n kraal te deel) sal aanvaar word;.
• By aankoms sal ‘n intree gewig geneem word. Wagyu staan gewoonlik tussen ‘n jaar of twee in die voerkraal. Morgan Beef sal dus ten minste elke 3 maande ‘n gewig aan die teler verskaf en op versoek van die teler, maandeliks weeg sodra die diere slaggereed word;
• Morgan sal daarna sorg dat alle diere die nodige protokol volg tot by slaggewig.