17 August 2026
The Season.
Good rain in our part of the State over the last few weeks has confirmed the season as, promising. It has been quite mild and we can see clover emerging already here in Gurrundah. This is at least three weeks earlier than normal. Provided follow up rain is received in the next 4 to 6 weeks we should be in good shape for year end.
The snow on Monday was a reminder of how cold it can get. Luckily it did not settle and did not create a major problem.
Progress
We have started calving and things are going pretty well. There have been a couple of very large calves that have not survived. This is unusual with Wagyus but does show that our average animal size is increasing.
Our strategic move to create a fattening block near Cowra is working. The animals which we have moved down there are putting on over 1000 grams a day through the winter. The animals retained here at Clear Hills, at over 800m of altitude, are maintaining weight but are not achieving ADG (Average Daily Gain).
The yearling and 2yr old bulls are looking spectacular. They are very consistent with a strong Breeder Feeder Index across the board.
The Clarkson’s Farm story of the week
As part of our overall pasture improvement program we purchased a beautiful Kubota track mulcher. This was delivered in early July and by the end of the month we had tested it extensively. This included driving it off the edge of a bank and nearly tipping it over — which raised the heart rate of the operator. On the same day we discovered that at the wrong angle the mulcher will throw rocks through the windscreen at lightning speed. Kubota were very good at replacing the windscreen within 48hrs.
The Market
The beef prices have been very strong through the year. The consolidation over the last two weeks is possibly linked to an increase in the supply of cattle from Queensland. The tariffs on the China trade are unfortunate. Luckily we still have access to the US market which even with tariffs is still very attractive.
The Wagyu prices have started to move up. While still not super exciting the price for steers at approximately $6.50/kg live weight is an improvement. We remain optimistic that there is significantly more upsize in these prices as the key markets continue to perform.
Newsletter No. 29 | 17 August 2026
The Season. Spring is looking terrific across the region. Rain earlier, followed by
We are back from Wagyu Edge 26, the annual Australian Wagyu Association conference.
image: QGI’s APEX (R5) PPWFR005 As spring is in full swing here at Koolang Wagyu it
