AWA Workshop and Annual General Meeting | Australian Wagyu Association

2025 AWA TechNical Workshop & AGM

24 November 2025

You're invited

2025 AWA Technical Workshop & AGM

AWA Technical Workshop

We welcome all members who can attend in person to join the AWA Technical Workshop free of charge. The workshop will take place at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Brisbane, on Monday the 24^th of November 2025.

Registrations open at 9.30 with morning tea and the program will kick off at 10.20am.

This year’s program features a strong lineup of technical insights and practical updates from across the Wagyu industry, including:

Updates from the AWA:

What’s new in Helical since the Regional Workshops?
AWA-PTP – Five years in: What the numbers tell us?
Insights from analysis of Wagyu data
Updates on objective carcase technology

Attendees will also hear from leading voices in research and industry, including Hugh Killen (Impact Ag Australia), Muren Herrid (International Livestock Research Centre), and Marina Fortes (University of Queensland).

All workshop presentations will be recorded and made available online following the event to allow members from across Australia and around the world to access information about these updates and important new AWA initiatives.

AWA Annual General Meeting

For those attending the AWA Annual General Meeting, the meeting will be held at 3.30 pm on 24 November in the same room as the AWA Technical Workshop.

Workshop & AGM Schedule*

9:30am	Registrations & Morning Tea
10:20am	Technical Session 1 Updates from the AWA: What’s new in Helical since the Regional Workshops; AWA-PTP – 5 years in, what do the numbers tell us?; Insights from analysis of Wagyu data; Updates on objective carcase technology. Speakers include: Dr Matt McDonagh, Caroline Triebe, Aaron van den Heuvel, Natalie Poole, Matias Suarez and Hassan Aliloo
12:20pm	Lunch
1.20pm	Technical Session 2 Speakers include: Hugh Killen, Impact Ag Australia; Muren Herrid, International Livestock Research Centre, Marina Fortes, University of Queensland, Livestock Genomics and Biotechnology Group and Dr Laercio Porto Neto, CSIRO
3:10pm	Afternoon Tea
3:30pm	AWA Annual General Meeting
5:15pm	Drinks & Canapes

Learn more about the guest speakers

Hugh Killen leads Impact Ag Australia, where he’s helping integrate natural capital into large-scale farm management and investment. With more than 25 years’ experience across global finance, agribusiness, and agrifood supply chains, his career includes senior roles at Climate Asset Management, Pollination Group, Westpac, and as former CEO of AACo – Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer. Combining strategic insight with deep operational understanding, Hugh works with producers, investors, and industry partners to translate natural capital into practical strategies that deliver measurable results on the land and on the balance sheet. Through Impact Ag’s work, he’s demonstrating how production and nature can reinforce each other to build resilience, boost performance, and create long-term value for agriculture. His next challenge? Redefining the global food system to reward producers for doing the heavy lifting on sustainability.

Hugh Killen Managing Director and CEO, Impact Ag Australia

Dr. Muren Herrid is the Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Genomic Selection. He has been engaged in research and commercial ventures since 1992, focusing on embryology and stem cell biology. He established three bovine OPU/IVF laboratories in Australia, Canada, and China. Dr. Herrid developed a camel vitrification medium later commercialised with Minitube and, as a CSIRO scientist, contributed to producing the first bulls and rams with donor-derived spermatozoa. In collaboration with Yunaniu Animal Breeding Company, he oversaw the production of China’s first cloned cattle using the handmade cloning technique.

Dr Muren HerridPhD in Reproductive Physiology, University of New England (2004). Postdoctoral Research, University of Manitoba

A/Prof Marina Rufino Salinas Fortes is a veterinary scientist and geneticist specialising in reproductive biology, livestock genomics, and sustainable beef production. She holds a Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Science in Animal Reproduction from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and completed her PhD in Genetics at The University of Queensland, receiving the Dean’s Commendation for Research Excellence. Marina leads UQ’s Livestock Genomics and Biotechnology Group, where her research focuses on the genetics of fertility, puberty, reproductive performance, and methane emissions in cattle, applying advanced genomic and phenomic tools to improve herd productivity and sustainability. Her work has been consistently supported by Meat & Livestock Australia and industry partners, with projects spanning cow and bull fertility, puberty biomarkers, genomic prediction, and low-emissions phenotyping. She is also Deputy Director for Biotechnology – Agriculture at UQ, promoting research translation, industry partnerships, and next-generation workforce development, and she teaches across genetics and livestock biotechnology.

A/Prof Marina FortesThe Livestock Genomics and Biotechnology Group

Location & Contacts

Address

Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane
23 Leichhardt Street
Spring Hill Brisbane Queensland 4000, Australia

Contact the AWA team for information

Emily Rabone
Marketing and Communications Manager

Phone: 02 8880 7707
Email: [email protected]

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Terms & Conditions

It is a condition of use of this database that you accept these terms and conditions.

It is important that you appreciate when accessing the Australian Wagyu Association Limited (AWA) database (which may be hosted on an external website) that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) and Index values (together called Database Information), is based on data supplied by AWA members and/or third parties. 

Whilst sincere effort is made to ensure the Database Information is accurate and complete, to the extent permitted by law, AWA, its officers and employees, shall not be responsible for its use or interpretation, and you use the Database Information at your own risk. Please be aware of the following limitations of the Database Information.

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

WBVs are derived using genetic evaluation technology developed for the AWA, using the information contained within the AWA database. 
WBVs are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype. 
WBVs can only be directly compared to other WBVs calculated in the same AWA genetic analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is 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 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 set out details regarding the definition of a Pedigree Recorded Animal. 
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 genetic issues or inaccuracies which were previously not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology (i.e. if the animal was tested again with current 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 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.

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

As genetic testing results are provided by independent DNA testing laboratories at the request of AWA members, AWA relies solely on the accuracy of the reporting of genetic testing as completed by the laboratories. 
AWA uses GeneProb software to calculate the likelihood of pedigree animals being a carrier of genetic conditions. This likelihood is an estimate based on the available genetic testing results.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and/or implications of the data provided on this website or the WBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek expert advice.  Note there is substantial technical information and articles on the Wagyu website to assist our members.

AWA’s liability for any loss or damage, consequential or otherwise, suffered or incurred by you or your related business, arising directly or indirectly from your use of Database Information, to the extent permitted by law, is limited to AWA providing you with a refund for the fees paid for the service (if any), or AWA re-performing the service, where possible, at the election of AWA.

AWA administers this database in good faith to support AWA members and the industry. AWA does not represent or warrant that the animals recorded in this database, or animals breed from them, will achieve any particular genetic or phenotype performance.

THIS DISCLAIMER HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 03/02/2026, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE READ IT IN DETAIL