June 2025 Board Report | Australian Wagyu Association

The Board of Directors and AWA Executive staff met in Sydney 03 June 2025 to review company performance against KPIs and budget to the end of Quarter 3 for the 2024/2025 Financial Year. Significant items reviewed and resolved are reported below.

Changes to AWA Bylaws

The Board approved changes to AWA Bylaws to recognise that AWA has Pedigree Recorded Animals within its registers for which it relies on the parentage verification of other Wagyu Registry Organisations:

The Definition of PEDIGREE RECORDED ANIMAL was added, noting that PED animals exist in the AWA registers and that the details of these animals are sourced from recognised Wagyu Registry Organisations.
The Definition of RECOGNISED WAGYU REGISTRY ORGANISATION was added noting that AWA recognises the pedigree records as listed by other approved organisations including the American Akaushi Association, American Wagyu Association and Japan Wagyu Registry – Zenwa.
Regulation 2.5: Pedigree recorded animals, acknowledging that the AWA registers contain animals historically recorded in other registries and that such registration relies on parentage verification conducted by that organisation.

AWA-PTP 2025 Semen Sale Update

The sale will be conducted online via Stocklive, facilitated by Ray White Rural Dalby 29th – 31st of July. The Auction will use a “Sealed Auction” format, functioning similarly to a traditional auction, with the key difference being that all bids are hidden from public view. A total of 2,800 straws in total are available for sale across 6 sale categories being:

AWA-PTP Cohort 5 Standard Sires: Straws from every Cohort 5 Standard Sire to enable Wagyu breeders early access to the next generation of PTP sires prior to data collection to allow cost-effective genetic linkage to the AWA-PTP.
High accuracy sires: Limited straws from Cohort 1 sires that have carcase data submitted through the AWA-PTP kill groups.
Genomic Diversity Packages: 4 packages each with 5 straws of 5 different sires (100 straws in total). Packages will have sires with a diversity scores between 67 and 86.
Genomic Inbreeding Packages: 4 packages each with 5 straws of 5 different sires (100 straws in total). Packages have sire3 with an average Genomic Inbreeding of 11% and 13% (well below breed average).
Matesel Optimised Joining’s Packages: Multiple packages offering buyers the opportunity to access Standard Sire Nomination semen from Cohorts 2, 3, and 4, with selections tailored to best suit the genetics of their female herd. Packages are structured according to the number of cows the buyer intends to join using PTP semen. For example, the buyer can nominate 20 (minimum), 50, or 100 cows to be included in a Matesel program, which will optimise sire selection from the PTP pool and cater for both small and large herds.
AWA-PTP herd Linkage Package: Multiple packages aimed at bidders that would like to have the opportunity to incorporate the PTP genetics into their own herd and use these genetics to benchmark their own sires against the PTP Sires. Bidders will directly benefit from the higher accuracies and reliabilities on all traits recorded through the PTP.

Final transition to AWA Helical Database Approved

Following two years of database development and testing, the AWA Board have approved AWA to move the AWA Breed Registry, genetic testing and performance data records onto the Helical platform. The AWA Board have approved finalisation of its Breed Registry Agreement with ABRI. AWA Members will be provided with in-person and online training materials to assist with transition to Helical-based services over the coming 6 months.

WagyuEdge’25 Conference

The WagyuEdge’25 Conference was attended by 507 registered attendees, with 80 who participated in the Southern WA Wagyu Tour and 50 who participated in the Northern WA Wagyu Tour. The conference coincided with the 2025 Wagyu Branded Beef Awards, 2025 Elite Wagyu Sale and awarding of Honorary Life Membership to Mr Scott de Bruin at the 2025 Wagyu Industry Dinner.Feedback from the post-conference survey was reviewed across all events, noting responses from over 150 attendees regarding various aspects of the Conference, events and Tours. This information has been used to inform WagyuEdge’26, which will be held in Brisbane Australia 15-17 April 2026, with a post-conference tour being developed.

AWA Q3 FY2024/25 Financial Report

The meeting reviewed financial performance of the company to date across all areas of operation to the end of the 3rd quarter of the 2024/25 financial year. The AWA is sitting in net surplus and is forecast to complete FY2024/25 with a moderate net profit of around 1% of income – noting the Not for Profit status of the company.
AWA Investment Portfolio Review
Following the end of FY2024/25 quarter 3, the AWA investment portfolio performance summary provided by the independent financial advisor was reviewed by the Board. The existing AWA investment strategy was confirmed as satisfactory with performance exceeding targets.

New DNA Testing Service Agreements Approved

Annual DNA pricing agreements with two DNA testing service providers were approved. These reviews considered updated DNA testing offerings and changes to standard DNA testing prices in line with CPI and DNA testing volumes for suppliers.

AWA Membership and Services Fees to increase

The Board reviewed recommendations from the AWA Audit and Finance Committee regarding annual increases in pricing for AWA services in line with finalising the FY2026 AWA Budget.Effective from 1 July 2025, the AWA is increasing its fees commensurate with increased costs of business. AWA Membership, registrations, transfers, sponsorships, EWS entries, advertising to increase 3%. DNA genotyping costs will increase in line with slight price increases from the labs, which is within 5% for the majority of tests, noting that new DNA testing products will be delivered that provide a significant reduction in costs for some products.The AWA will publish its revised fee schedule to all members shortly. The AWA reviews pricing on all fees on an annual basis and expects all future fee changes will be aligned to CPI ± 2% on an annual basis.

60 new AWA Member applications were approved

It is a Constitutional requirement that the AWA Board consider applications to AWA membership and determines admission or rejection of the applicants. At the June 03 2025 Board Meeting, approval of the 60 members takes the total membership at 03 June 2025 to 1,240 full members and 181 associate members.As AWA Company Secretary and on behalf of the AWA President and the AWA Board, it is my pleasure to provide this report to you.

Sincerely,

Dr Matt McDonagh
Company Secretary/CEO

Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

Animals whose registration identifiers start with PED are Pedigree Recorded Animals. What this means is that the details which Australia Wagyu Association Limited (AWA) used to register the animal were obtained from a Recognised Wagyu Registry Organisation – in other words a Wagyu breed association based outside of Australia. AWA has not independently verified the information with respect to the animal or the details recorded about the animal. You should read AWA’s by-laws which sets out details regarding the definition of a Pedigree Recorded Animal.
Future events cannot be predicted accurately. AWA makes no statements, representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of, and you should not rely on, any information contained in the registration details of this animal or their capability to achieve any purpose. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability for negligence) for all claims, expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the information set out in the registration details of this animal for any reason being inaccurate or incomplete in any way or incapable of achieving any purpose.
Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams. As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.