Scatter shooting some data and observations
- 24 hours ago
- 3 min read
According to data provided by Representative Bill Stutzman (Indiana) in a bill submitted to the 119th Congress, Australia exported 63,000 metric tons of Wagyu beef to the United States between January 2024 and January 2025, which is equivalent to 250,000 - 275,000 head of cattle. This export volume accounts for 48% of the U.S. Wagyu market and 70% of the Wagyu segment within the food service industry, including restaurants. If we consider the two largest Wagyu programs in the US together turn out approximately 40,000-50,000 head of fat cattle per year, this is huge opportunity for American Wagyu and Akaushi producers. Can it be true that American producers only produce 20% of the Wagyu beef consumed in the US??
Unfortunately, a significant number of Akaushi cattle are still being evaluated for marbling using the outdated USDA Quality Grade scale (i.e., Select, Choice, Prime). These data are categorical and qualitative rather than quantitative, thereby restricting the types of statistical analyses that can be applied. Whereby progressive producers have sought alternative grading tools that can quantify percentage of marbling in an objective manner. The MIJ camera has been the technology that luxury beef producers have turned to.... although the opportunity exists for an American company to produce a competitive technology/tool. The industry (publicly or privately) will need to generate analyses to measure accuracy of any cameras or technology used to measure marbling. The debate remains open as to which method should be used to measure the accuracy. Bomb calorimeters is the most likely candidate while Near-infrared Reflectance Analyzer is worth looking into further. The issue is the thick, course marbling (with a higher melting point) will burn/release more heat per gram than unsaturated fat. This can bias the results.
Birthweight and calving issues (dystocia) are not improving in the major US cattle breeds....same in the US Akaushi herd. Have you seen the hobby breeders on fb proudly displaying their 80 to 120 pound newborn calves? It is unfortunate. If the past is any indication of the future, we will watch more programs fall due to cracks (holes) in their foundation. The appetite for genetics carrying inherent 85-100lb birth weights will diminish quickly, it takes a season or two of calving disasters and deaths for some people to wake up or go find a different hobby. This could have been avoided and mitigated. Simply reach out for help or read akaushiinsight! For more than a decade, near-sighted breeders have applied selection pressure to increase size, and it has yielded exactly that. Imagine if a stockman approach was taken and the same selection pressure would have been for increased maternal traits, better disposition and consistency in carcass quality. Please take time to read my prior blogs on calving ease and dystocia.
I've never seen so many Akaushi and Black Wagyu breeders use the word "Proven" in their advertisements and then not provide ANY results, data or images. Simply creating embryo transfer offspring does not make a female proven. Folks, the fundamental goal of improving livestock through selection is to make the next generation higher quality.... not to simply make more offspring. Furthermore, I do not consider a donor that has mostly produced offspring through surrogate nursing dams as an investable genetic asset. So, I remain asking. where are all these "Proven" results at?...
The leadership, or lack thereof, of National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) disappointed the US rancher yet again. Recently, Colin Woodall took a couple verbal jabs at the Lonesome Lands podcaster, Jim Mundorf. On video, they called Jim a jackass in an Iowa cornfield and questioned his horsemanship. Mr. Woodall continues to make obvious what has been known for a long time.... I'll leave it at that. NCBA takes the lion's share of the checkoff dollars (paid primarily by American ranchers) and is not well liked by many ranchers or the current White House administration. The Lonesome Lands podcast has openly called out the packer monopoly and has been able to get direct access and interview the USDA Secretary of Ag, Brooke Rollins. In fact, the other co-host of the Lonesome Lands podcast, Shad Sullivan, was recently on stage in Washington, DC with Sec. Rollins and the Department of Justice during the press conference announcement of investigations into the big four packers. Why would this bother the NCBA and even cause them to name call?
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