KWA News | 24 May 2025 - Koolang Wagyu Australia

The Season

After a long dry Autumn it is fantastic to be enjoying widespread steady rain. With over 40mls in the past 24hrs things are definitely looking up. It is a worry that Australia continues to have a climate of contrasts. Extreme flooding on the north coast and severe drought along the Great Ocean Road.

The medium term forecasts remain somewhat confused which is normal for this time of year. The moisture from this current event should hold us in good stead for several weeks as temperatures have been mild. Unfortunately a cold snap is more than likely in the next fortnight.

Progress

We have been applying extreme selection pressure to the herd this year. The result is that we have significantly improved the average quality of the animals at Clear Hills. It also means that there are only a limited selection of animals available for sale. The good news is that the quality of these bulls is exceptional.

The challenge over the Autumn has been to keep stock moving forward in condition, this has required us to begin feeding earlier than we might well have done. While we conserve ground cover as much as possible the steady stream of hay being put out is a concern.

A major feature of the last three months has been that Geoff and I both took extended holidays in Europe at the same time. Luckily Steve Cummins and Mick Woods were able to run the show in our absence and have kept things in great shape.

An important project is the recovery of a large paddock that has been neglected for the last few years, this has involved buliding a concrete crossing over Humes creek, clearing a lot of regrowth, putting in new dams and fencing. We are optimistic that once pasture improvement is complete we will significantly enhance the carrying capacity of the operation.

Building a new crossing over Humes Creek

The Market

The F1 Wagyu market has stabilized, prices are steady at around $4.40/kg for steers. The forecasts from market commentators are all extremely positive. If even half of what the commentators say is achieved we should be preparing for an excellent 2026.

Bull sales have been subdued although we did see two young heifers sold in the US for $220,000USD each. This remains an excellent time to pick up Wagyu genetics with marble score EBVs of greater than 2 at reasonable prices.