In this issue:
Wagyu History Outside Japan
Wagyu beef outside of Japan - American Wagyu beef
The tortuous road from Japan and cattle to the United States
In 1976, the first export of Japanese Wagyu beef was made, and Morris Whitney shipped two black males and cattle and red males and cattle from Japan to the United States. The four males and cattle were used by the University of Colorado for research and took sperm samples. The four Wagyu beef were then bought by the Wagyu breeding company. It was not until 1991 that Japan began to export Wagyu beef again, and the semen of a bull was exported. No females and cattle were exported before 1993, and countries outside of Japan used other breeds of cattle for hybridization, so the first two black Wagyu cattle (Mazda from Tottori Prefecture and Mt Fuji from Hyogo Prefecture) and two Red Wagyu cattle (Rueshaw and Judo from Kumamoto Prefecture) and Angus cattle, Holstein cattle, Herriford cattle, and Brangs cattle were combined. By 1991, the highest percentage of Wagyu bull pedigree in the United States was 63/64, with 3/4 or higher of hybrid females and cattle reaching reproductive age. In 1993, the fifth bull, Itotani, was brought to Canada by Brooks Lakeside Industries, and the narrow genetic base was expanded. The fourth generation of descendants was given american purebred (15/16) and contained 93.75% of the Wagyu bovine gene. In 1993 a number of males and cattle and females and cattle were exported. So before 1993, Wagyu beef from all over Japan except for the four pure-blood Wagyu beef exported in 1976 was a hybrid breed.
The Mannett team (later the World Ks team) airlifted three black females and cows (Uzutani and Rikitani from Tajima, Okutani with 3/4 Tajima ancestry and 4/1 bird root ancestry) and two male bulls (Michifuku and Haruki) by air in July 1993. The first generation of purebred Wagyu cattle born outside of Japan came from the second generation of Haluki2 embryos. Rikitani gave birth to Rilihari for the first time in Canada on June 19, 1994. Then on June 23 Okutani gave birth to Genijiro and the second to Okuharu. Okitani also gave birth to the first full-blood cow Fujiko and full-blood bull Beijirou in the United States on the 24th. At the end of the year, the first live shipments were exported from the United States to Wollileigh, Australia. In August 1994, the Mannett team introduced four black females and cows (Okahana, Nakayuki, Kanetani and Nakagishi5) and two black males (Kenhanafuji and Takazakura). Subsequent births were Tanitsuru, Nakazakura, Kitaguni Jr. and Reiko.
Red Wagyu beef selected by Dr. AI and Marie Wood from Mr. Yakio Kurosawatsu and Dr. King from Kumamoto Prefecture, imported by Dr. AI and Marie Wood. The nine red females and cows registered with the American WAG are: Namiko, Ume, Namoi, Akiko, Haruko, Fuyuko, Dai3 Namiaki, Dai9Koubai73 and Dai8 Marunami, as well as three red males: Shigemaru, Tamamaru and Hikari. Only seven heifers were reportedly imported, and three were pregnant when they arrived in the United States. The heifers that were born in Japan for the Japanese wagyu namimaru and Dai10 Mitsumaru were: Big Al, Kaedemaru, Momigimaru, Ringo, 504 and 505. After 180 days of isolation incubation, Namoi, Dai 3 Namiaki, Kaedemaru and Momigimaru were shipped by ship to Ontario, Canada
Subsequently, the rest of the wagyu herd in the U.S. was sold to Englewood Farms in Texas, and much of it was transferred to the Center brand in Texas. Also in 1994, Japanese farm partners imported three black males and cattle: Kikuyasu, Fukutomi and Yasutanisakura and ten black females: Chisahime662, Chiyofuku 992, Fukutomi990, Kikuhana 298, Shigehime208, Tokuhime486, Yasufuji1/ 4, Yoshifuku2 and Yuriko1 and two red female calves that were later sold to the United States. In addition, Mr. Shogo Takeda exported 35 black females and cows (mostly calves), as well as five black males and cows: Itomichi 1/2, Kikuhana, Itohana2, Kinto and Terutani. In 1997 The Mannett team imported 7 black males and cattle: Taguchi9, Nakahana5, Mitsutaka, Okuito9, Hanateru9, Rabito and Hisako. And a black male and a cow yasufuku. The calves born later were: Taguchifuku, Kotomichan and Kousyun.
In 1997, Harris Walker imported 25 black females and cattle and three black males from Hokkaido, Japan, to the United States. The following year a further 59 female and cow and 3 male and cattle sperm were imported: Shigefuku, Dai 6 Seizan and Kitatsurukiku Doi. The sperm remained in the United States while the females and cattle were exported to Australia. The females and cattle were of a wide variety, with 44 from Shimane Prefecture, 28 from Tottori Prefecture and 12 from Tajima, increasing milk production and marbling ratios. The breeding descendants who went to Canada are Hatsuko, Itoreiko, Kazuaki, Kitahikari97/1, Kitakazu, Kitaokumi, Kitasakaedoi, Kitasekitori, Kitatizuru2, Kunikiku96, Masako, Masatoshi2, Sakaehikari, Sekinakada22, Sekiyuhou, Takakuni, Takashigedoi, Yamafuji, Yamaketakafuji3 and Yuriyuhoi.
Takeda Farm imports 6 males and cattle: Kikutsuru Doi, Itoshigefuji, Itoshigenami, Mitsuhikokura, Kikuterushige, Itozuru Doi.
It is worth noting that a male bull named Mishima was in the consignment of this batch of Takeda farms. Mishima breeds of cattle are native cattle breeds from Mishima, Japan, although Mishima cattle are not considered Wagyu cattle in Japan because Japan only calls four breeds from government-designated Wagyu beef (Japanese black cow, Japanese brown cow, Japanese hairless cow, and Japanese shorthorn cattle), and he is especially because he has not crossed with any cattle other than Japanese cattle. The number of Mishima cattle in Mishima, Japan, was wiped out due to rinderpest in 1672. A small number of Japanese black cattle were transported from mainland Japan to Mishima to rebuild their herds, and these cattle have undergone more than 25 generations of inbreeding. Mishima cattle have a higher marbling ratio, but are smaller than today's traditional conventional Wagyu beef.
The above describes all exports of Japanese Wagyu beef before 1997. In 1997, the Japanese government declared Wagyu cattle a national treasure and banned further exports of live Wagyu cattle or genes.
American Wagyu herd
(Refer to the chart above) The advantage of hybrid (yellow) offspring as the basis for American purebred (red) during U.S. Wagyu breeding Since 2000, purebred Wagyu cattle have not required DNA parental verification. In 1998, the offspring of the calf were more than purebred with whole blood (blue), then dropped to 30% in 2005, but have since begun to climb again. Typically, purebreds account for a quarter of the total number of registrations (from the WAG website) there are currently 40,000 Wagyu cattle in use in the United States (including hybrid breeds). Another 150,000 were from South America. The U.S. Wagyu industry is currently growing strongly at a rate of 20 percent. Upgraded purebred Wagyu cattle are the mainstay of the entire herd, while the number of 100% whole-blood Wagyu cattle is also increasing. (Purebred = purebred, whole blood = fullblood) Over the past decade, black Wagyu cattle have accounted for 94 to 96 percent of the annual full registrations of the American Wagyu Beef Association, and they are descendants of Japanese black Wagyu cattle.
About Red Wagyu/Akaushi
Red Wagyu beef is known in Japan as Japanese brown or Akashi. Japanese brown is a name used by the Japanese in scientific literature. Two Japanese browns, two heifers imported to the United States in 1976 and 10 male and female Japanese browns imported to the United States in 1994. The American Wagyu Beef Association designates Japanese brown breed wagyu cattle as red Wagyu in their livestock manuals. Some of the red Wagyu cattle were reared in isolation and sent to Canada. The first Wagyu cattle were registered in the United States under the name Englwood. After breeding from the first two bulls in 1976, the first purebreds were registered on offspring calves in 1992. Since 1995, Red Wagyu beef has been registered as the core of the brand. In 1994, 12 live Japanese Red Wagyu beef imported from Japan became the basis for whole-blood Wagyu beef. This was followed by the founding of the American Red Wagyu beef Society, known as Akaushi. The following table shows the names of calves imported from Japan by the Red Wagyu Foundation or born through artificial insemination:
Wagyu Society
The American Wagyu Beef Association was founded on March 14, 1990. The American Wagyu Cattle Association has 564 members, including 17 in Canada, 11 in Australia, 6 in Germany, 2 in Mexico, 2 in Austria, 1 in the United Kingdom, 1 in Costa Rica, 1 in the Philippines, and 1 in Spain.
Wagyu cattle are widely spread in the United States. The American Wagyu Cattle Association has nearly 100 members in Texas.
In the fall of 1991, the inaugural meeting of the Wagyu Cattle Association of Canada was held in Calgary. Before the association was founded, after two years of intensive lobbying. There were 32 members in 1993 and 54 members in 1994. By 1994, 84 registrations had been completed. Canadian breeders use the American Wagyu Cattle Association's electronic service. The Texas Wagyu Beef Association was founded on May 30, 2009, as part of the American Wagyu Beef Association. The American Akaushi Association has been active for many years.
U.S. beef grading
90% of Wagyu cattle slaughtered in the United States are classified as Prime, which is the highest, with marbling described as "slightly rich to rich", and its minimum intramuscular fat content is 8-11%.
In Australia, Angus beef has the highest marble rating of 9 due to the lowest amount of fat in muscle at 21%. Wagyu producers in the United States and Australia share the same constraints, and their grading limits cannot meet all Wagyu cattle to be slaughtered. The chart below shows the minimum intramuscular fat content for each marbling grade in these markets.
According to an article published by HeartBrand Beef in March 2020, only 4 percent of U.S. cattle reach Prime grade. The gap in the market is an ideal opportunity for the U.S. Wagyu beef industry and the Export of the Australian Wagyu Beef Industry.
Semen and embryos are approved for export to the United States or the following regions: