A Bullish Outlook For Wagyu In SA

During its recent roadshow events in Gauteng, the Free State and the Western Cape, the Wagyu Society of South Africa introduced new and prospective breeders to the opportunities that exist to grow the high-value beef segment in South Africa. The society also launched its certification programme for locally produced Wagyu beef. Denene Erasmus reports.

- Denene Erasmus

The mission of the Wagyu Society of South Africa (Wagyu SA) is to “transform the Southern African beef industry to be highly profitable, with consumers demanding and enjoying a premium eating experience”. This is according to the society’s CEO, Dr Michael Bradfield.

In other words, Wagyu SA has set out to move away from producing beef as a commodity by creating a high-value, niche market for its product instead.

During the society’s recent series of roadshow events, Bradfield presented the 10-year plan for Wagyu breeding in South Africa, which includes ensuring that it is a sustainable industry “that creates job opportunities and contributes to the economic well-being of all communities and the prosperity of the country”.

There is a clear opportunity to grow Wagyu production and develop a market for premium beef in South Africa; in fact, according to Bradfield, one of the challenges is to increase the Wagyu value chain’s ability to supply premium-quality beef in sufficient volume quickly enough to meet market demand.

GLOBAL WAGYU SITUATION

Graham Truscott, Wagyu SA international consultant, says that estimated Wagyu-content cattle numbers worldwide clearly show that Japan and Australia are the leaders in Wagyu production. Japan is by far the largest producer, with roughly 1,64 million Wagyu-content cattle, followed by Australia with 390 000. The second-largest producer in Asia is China, with 150 000 Wagyu-content cattle.

The largest producer in South America is Chile, with 50 000 of these cattle, while in the US there are an estimated 80 000. The UK, with 6 000 Wagyu content cattle, is the largest producer in Europe.

South Africa has a similar number, and is the only country in Africa where Wagyu are bred.

Out of a total world cattle population of about 1,47 billion, Wagyu-content cattle represent a mere 2,44 million, or 0,2%.