4 | Premium Genetics for Premium Markets WELCOME TO TRENT BRIDGE Dear Wagyu Breeders, The Perry family and our wonderful team are excited to welcome you to our second annual Trent Bridge Wagyu bull sale Thursday 5th September. For those that attended our inaugural sale last year I would like to express our most sincere thanks for your support of our program. We were truly humbled by the result and feel lucky to be supported by so many exceptional farmers and supply chains in our industry. The 171 bulls catalogued represents by far the largest run of Wagyu bulls to be put to market. Our aim in doing this is to ensure we can give all clients a large choice of bulls at commercial rates. We are very proud of this year’s lineup of bulls, who boast an average marble score of +2.4 (double breed average) and include 137 bulls with a marble score over +2 and 30 bulls with a marble score over +3. We always try and take a balanced approach to breeding cattle and you will see that there are also many bulls with strong growth and maternal traits throughout the catalogue that are more suited to higher Wagyu content herds. As I document the EBV averages for this draft of bulls I am reminded by the stunning genetic progress that the entire Wagyu breed is making. Only five years ago, the average marble score of our bulls sold was +1.7. At that time that was in the top 10% of the breed. Since then, our average marble score of bulls offered has gone up nearly 50% to +2.4, and our cattle are still within the top 10% of the breed. Many of our clients have bulls that are over 8 years old, and as more pressure comes from supply chains to improve the quality and consistency of the carcase produced they have had to look to upgrade their genetics. After a very tough spring in 2023 we have been lucky to have a very soft autumn and winter and the bulls are a testament to these conditions. They were weaned on the 15th of January and have done 1.1kg ADG since weaning, making them 20kg heavier than the average last year. They are undoubtedly the best line of bulls we have bred and we look forward to having you inspect them on sale day. The past 12 months have presented challenges for many, with dry spells affecting various parts of the country and the persistent issue of rising costs. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of attending both the Wagyu Conference and Beef Week, where market analysts discussed the favourable marco forces that look to propel the Australian cattle industry forward in the mid to long term. Factors such as Australia’s strong position in key markets, global weather patterns causing supply shortages, and increased demand amid a dry spell in the US, point to a positive upswing in farm gate prices. Amidst these developments, the burning question for many remains: where are Wagyu prices headed?
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