Change to AWA Registers and Fees

Important Notice to Members – Change to AWA Registers and Fees

• From Monday 03 August, AWA’s Register and Fee structures will change
• AWA will move to a Commercial (non-breeding) and Breeding Register
• A fee of AUD$10 will be applied to all animals registered in the Commercial Register
• The $10 fee is credited towards the upgrade of males and females to the Breeding Register within the first 12 months of life.
• For animals not upgraded to the Breeding Register, the $10 fee is refunded by credit when carcase data is submitted
• Registration will be accepted under the current processes until 3pm 31st July

Existing:

The AWA has traditionally maintained a Slaughter Register and Herdbook Register.

The Slaughter Register is for the recording of animals intended for slaughter only, where carcase data can be provided for registered slaughter animals.  This is free of charge after DNA testing.

The Herdbook Register contains different classes of animals including Japanese Black, Akaushi, Composite Cross and Content animals that are primarily breeding animals. There is a per-animal charge for recording animals in this register.

The issue:

AWA Members are increasingly keeping females for slaughter, with a significant uplift in slaughter registered females in the last 3 years. Members increasingly use the Slaughter Register to obtain WBVs to assist with the selection of animals to determine which ones to keep for slaughter and which ones to keep for breeding for males and females.

“Upgrading” animals from the Slaughter Register to the Breeding register is becoming increasingly costly for members:

• For females, significant upgrade fees apply at any age ($69.81).
• For males, significant upgrade fees apply after 12 months of age ($69.81)

The solution:

AWA is changing its Registers and Fees to better accommodate Members obtaining valuable information from WBVs for animals early in life to inform the selection of breeding and slaughter animals of both genders.

New:

The AWA is changing how it uses its’ Registers to accommodate more flexibility in registration of animals for members effective 03 August 2026.

All prices outlined in this document are quoted in Australian Dollars (AUD), with equivalent pricing for international members in US Dollars (USD) approximately 0.75*the AUD quoted amount.

The Commercial Register:

Will contain all animals that are currently non-breeding.  Members can register all animals Male and Female in the Commercial register for $10.  Then;

1. Animals can be left in the Commercial Register if they are not used for breeding, i.e., they will not have any future progeny; and
2. Animals that have carcase data provided for them will have their $10 Commercial Register fee refunded, with this credit used to offset the costs of Commercial Registration in future years; or
3. Animals can be upgraded to the Breeding register within their first 12 months of life for the price difference between the Commercial Register price and the Breeding Register price (eg. $34.90 – $10.00 = $24.90).

This means that:

• There is no net change in the cost of registering animals in the Breeding Register up to 12 months of age by recording them in the Commercial Register first.
• There is still no net charge for animals registered in the Commercial Register who have carcase data supplied.

The Breeding Register:

The Breeding Register will still maintain the same classes of animals as the Herdbook Register and is for the registration of Males and Females used for breeding purposes, i.e., they will have progeny. AWA members can;

1. Register animals directly in the Breeding Register is they wish, paying the standard rate for registration starting at $34.90; or
2. Upgrade animals within the first 12 months of life from the Commercial Register for the difference between the Commercial Register price ($10) and the Breeding Register price (eg. $34.90 – $10.00 = $24.90); or
3. Upgrade animals after the first 12 months of life from the Commercial Register as above, but pay an additional upgrade fee of $20, instead of an additional upgrade fee of $34.90.

This means that:

• There is no net change in the cost of registering animals in the Breeding Register up to 12 months of age by recording them in the Commercial Register first so that you can make your selection decisions and register the animals you like.
• Costs of upgrading animals older than 12 months of age from the Commercial to the Breeding register are significantly reduced.

Implications:

1. AWA Members now have the choice to register animals in either the Commercial Register prior to selecting their breeding animals, or registering their animals in the Breeding Register directly, with no additional financial cost up to 12 months of age;
2. The cost of Commercial registration of animals is offset by the credit of the $10 Commercial registration fee upon submission of carcase data. So, there is no net cost of data submission;
3. The cost of upgrading animals older than 12 months of age is decreased;
4. Female and Male progeny are treated equally within AWA’s registers; and
5. Registration fees are roughly equivalent across Australian and International members.

Comparison of Charges for AWA Registers Old vs New

Herd Size Cost Comparisons

The following cost comparison summarises the relative cost of the Old and New Registration and Fee models for the recording of animals with the AWA across 3 consecutive years.

Both Old and New models are based on a 92% weaning rate across herd sizes from 50 through to 1,000 breeding females.  Both models assume full registration of 20% of male calves and 80% of female calves before 1 year of age.  Costs of DNA testing, AWA membership and CPI increases are assumed to be the same for both models and therefore not included in the calculations.

For the Old Register Model, zero cost of male slaughter calves is included in all years.

For a 100 head breeding herd, the three-year cost of registration based on Herdbook registration of 20% of male calves and 80% of female calves is $5,779, amounting to a yearly average of $1,926, which is $304 more expensive annually compared to the New Register Model.

For a 1,000 head breeding herd, the three-year cost of registration based on Herdbook registration of 20% of male calves and 80% of female calves is $44,921, amounting to a yearly average of $14,947, which is a $423 saving compared to the New Register Model.

For the New Register Model, a $10 cost of male and female commercial calves is included in all years.  The model assumes a return of carcase data for 60% of male calves in the third breeding year and does not assume return of carcase data from female calves to maintain a relatively conservative position.

For a 100 head breeding herd, the three-year cost of registration based on Breeding registration of 20% of male calves and 80% of female calves is $4,867, amounting to a yearly average of $1,622, which is a $304 saving compared to the Old Register Model.

For a 1,000 head breeding herd, the three-year cost of registration based on Breeding registration of 20% of male calves and 80% of female calves is $46,191, amounting to a yearly average of $15,397, which is a $423 more expensive compared to Old Register Model.

Overall, there are very minor cost differences to members between the 2 models.

FAQs

We have also compiled a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions covering topics such as Commercial Register fees, carcase data rebates, Wagyu Feeder Check animals, upgrade fees and international member pricing.

READ THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS