Certified Wagyu Beef will be exhibiting at the Hong Kong Food Expo on 17 – 19 August 2023. The decision to become an exhibitor at this international food fair was made to support our members with their endeavours to export Wagyu. Exporting remains one of the top priorities of CWB and the Society to create price parity in the market.

We call on all exporting members to send CWB their promotional materials (such as flyers, brochures, contact details, etc.) for distribution during the show. The promotional material should reach the office no later than 11 August 2023. Also, contact the office if you require more information.

The Society is excited to announce that our conference & AGM will be held from 6 – 8 September 2023 at Allee Bleue Wine Estate, Franschhoek. The theme of the conference is ‘Dive in with Wagyu’, and we look forward to showcasing some interesting features Wagyu has to offer. There will be no virtual component or Sale at the conference this time. As usual, we will present an Inspection course the day before, on the 6^th of September 2023, at L’Omarins. The inspection course must be attended by all new Society members to avoid compulsory inspection of cattle in the coming year. Our AGM is scheduled to take place, 4 pm on the 6^th of September 2023 at Alle Bleue. The conference program and entry forms will be distributed shortly. For enquiries, please contact the office.

We are also reviewing our sponsorships for the conference. All members are invited to become conference sponsors. Sponsors of the Society receive the first option to exhibit and attend events with the Society and CWB. As well as the first option on sales of beef, biltong and droëwors at these events. Sponsors also receive a lot of exposure at the conference, including over our social media platforms. The sponsorship prospectus can be downloaded from our website at https://wagyu.org.za/forms-reports/ under 8. Become a Wagyu Sponsor. For more information, you can contact Elandri directly at elandri@wagyu.org.za

Certified Wagyu Beef is launching the inclusion of Rangeland Beef a Nampo. The CWB program is inclusive of different production systems that conform to the requirements as set out by the CWB protocol and scheme. It is the onus of the producer to ensure that their production system meets the requirements as set out by CWB.

CWB has made provision for the inclusion of Rangeland Beef. Rangeland Beef under the CWB Scheme will refer to Wagyu raised for slaughter under the principles of Free Range, Slow Grown, Hormone Free and pasture reared. Animals raised under Rangeland Beef conditions will not go through the feedlot phase, instead, they are raised and reared on veld or pastures until slaughter. Veld- or pasture-reared animals are traditionally smaller to medium-framed units which are well adapted to the environment in which they are kept. It is therefore recommended that producers use a (dam line) breed to cross Wagyu that is well suited to their production environment, and which could facilitate a viable and sustainable end product.

Producers that participate in Rangeland Beef must inform the CWB office and the auditing body. The requirements for Rangeland Beef for each entity are provided in the protocol documentation. The new audit checklists with the criteria for Rangeland Beef are available from the CWB office. Contact Tumi at tumisang@wagyu.org.za.

The Breed Improvement & Product Support Committees have put together an easy-to-understand manual for members. This is the first in a series of manuals to be released throughout the following months. Breeding Tools 101 illustrates what exactly contributes to creating EBVs. This helpful tool will guide you to not only understand EBVs but also how to use EBVs in your herd.

You can download the manual from the Wagyu website by following the link https://wagyu.org.za/manuals-breedplan/