Al Mabroor started its wagyu breeding project in 2016. After a very thorough due diligence process on wagyu farming in Australia and Japan, Al Mabroor has decided that the time was right to enter this small and unique niche market in the meat industry in South Africa.

 

At the time there were only 583 full blood wagyu calves registered in South Africa. The total Australian cattle herd in 2016 was 2 500 000 head, of which only 90 000 were full blood registered wagyu. Wagyu thus made up a 3% of feedlot turnover but added 8% to the total feedlot value. Australia exported 40 000 tonnes in 2016, making up 80% of the total beef sales. 

 

The current demand for exports to existing markets is roughly 90 000 tonnes per annum of which most of the exports are to Europe. New markets to be entered into are Middle East, China, and Northeast Asia, which will increase the total international demand. South Africa can compete with the existing and developing markets due to our lower input and feeding costs, together with a closer proximity to these markets, especially the UAE.

 

Good quality genetics is paramount in producing quality meat products and in doing so maximising profits to investors. Al Mabroor has been fortunate to gain direct access to some of the best Wagyu genetics currently available in the South African market.