Impressive plans to ride the Wagyu wave

This comes as the global and Asian demand for high-quality Australian produce continues to climb.

WA lotfeeder and Margaret River Premium Meat Exports director Geoff Pearson is currently running 4000 head of Wagyu cross breeders in Esperance.

Mr Pearson saw the opportunity in 2001 for the Wagyu market and has slowly been building his herd across WA.

While Wagyu was previously not as accessible and didn't have the price tag attached to it as it does today, Mr Pearson recognised the potential and has been developing his WA herd slowly for the past nine years.

Margaret River Premium Meat Exports currently exports its Wagyu to 15 different countries, sending more than 200 bodies a month for processing.

It exports three containers a month into China of its sub-primal product, as well as Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Its primal product is air-freighted into Jakarta, Dubai, Mauritius and other high-end countries.

Along with other stakeholders, Margaret River Premium Meat Exports has the potential to expand to 10,000 head of Waygu in the next few years after recently acquiring property Young River station, 90 kilometres west of Esperance.

"We have just taken on the property and decided to relocate to this area and consolidate our herd in one area," Mr Pearson said.

"We have about 3500 to 4000 Wagyu and Wagyu cross breeders, which we have had for some time, but they were agisted on other properties.

"Potentially with this property we have the capacity to take the herd size to 10,000."

Mr Pearson said it was a work in progress and more capital was needed before they reached those heights.

"We could probably reach that target in the next five to eight years," he said.

"The prices were not to the level they are now when we got started, but (Wagyu) does attract a premium over other cattle.

"We might need some outside capital in order to grow, but we will see what the market does.

"We are running Angus as well, to try hedge our bets a bit - but we will predominantly lean towards the Wagyu."

Mr Pearson acquired the herd that had been breeding in WA since 1992, giving them a headstart in getting their product to a high percentage of F5 and F6 cattle.

"It is not registered, but it is very close to being a pure bred herd," he said.

"We started with Angus with some of them and since then we have crossed them over a Wagyu each time."

Mr Pearson said in addition to those at Young River, he was running other cattle across WA, from Eneabba, Cataby, Lake Preston, Badgingarra, Boyup Brook and Walpole.

"The ultimate goal is to move them into a more central location," he said.

"We have about 35,000 acres in the adjoining three properties at Young River, where we plan to grow the herd in the future."

Margaret River Wagyu Beef plan to produce its highly marbled, full-flavoured Wagyu at Young River station's feedlot facility, being transported to its Preston Beach feedlot for finishing, before being processed in Harvey to reduce transport time before processing.

Mr Pearson is not the only producer in WA investing into this breed.

Peter Gilmour, a veteran of five America's Cup campaigns and WA sportsman of the year in 1987, now president of the Australian Wagyu Association and owner of Irongate Wagyu, Albany has also been ramping up the Wagyu game here in WA and has been assisting other producers.

This includes the Pardoo Beef Corporation, Pilbara, which took out the Grand Champion Brand Beef award at the Australian Wagyu Associations 2016 conference last month.

At top resorts and restaurants overseas, a Wagyu steak can fetch up to $250 a dish.

Despite the hefty price tag, suppliers are knocking on WA's door to sign export deals, according to Department of State Development agribusiness expansion special adviser Rob Delane.

Mr Delane said WA's biggest problem was keeping up with the demand to feed Asia's growing appetite for high-quality produce.

"The interest is more than we can supply," Mr Delane said.

"I have seen a strong interest in Wagyu; from consumers, suppliers, restaurants and government officials.

"Wagyu is a word that was on the lips of every person you talk to."

Mr Delane confirmed that in China and Singapore there was a very strong interest in Australian high quality beef, including Wagyu.

He said the wave of consumer demand for beef had eventuated, but that had now moved into Wagyu.

"We don't have much Wagyu here, but people have strong ambitions," he said.

"We don't have an instant supply, it is not easy, it does take time.

"But those people putting in their own money and investing in it, I wish them well."

After recently returning from Singapore Mr Delane said the interest was real.

"For top end and sophisticated markets, the demand is there," he said.

"There is always interest in premium products."