Warrendale Wagyu Ireland hosted two information evenings this week for farmers interested in rearing Wagyu-cross calves to beef.

The information events took place on Tuesday, December 3, in Limerick and on Wednesday, December 4, in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, in conjunction with Warrendale Wagyu Ireland and its processing partners, Kepak Group.

Agriland was in attendance at the Tullamore event where farmers heard of the fixed-price contracts available to dairy farmers producing Wagyu-cross calves and also the fixed prices available for beef farmers when these calves are raised to beef and slaughtered in late 2026 or early 2027.

Kepak Group’s head of agribusiness Mick O’Dowd welcomed farmers to the event and introduced the three main speakers on the night. They were:

Tom Richardson, Warrendale Wagyu managing director;
Lizz Clarke, independent nutritionist for Warrendale Wagyu;
Cathal Doyle, Warrendale Wagyu Ireland representative.

Tom Richardson explained that Warrendale Wagyu has been in business for seven years and has 700 farmers working with the business in the UK.

These farmers are rearing and fattening first-cross Wagyu off the dairy herd in the UK. The group is slaughtering cattle at three sites in the UK.

The group’s UK operation is currently killing approximately 250 Wagyu cattle/week and aims to gross approximately 450 cattle/week by the end of 2025.

He said that in 2021, the global market for Wagyu was estimated at $21.5 billion and is forecast to grow 6.4%/year so is estimated to be worth about $35 billion by 2029.

Wagyu payment structure

The Warrendale Wagyu managing director said: “How we work our system is we pay a flat price for the cattle, so we’re not deducting on the EUROP grid, it’s a flat price paid per kilo and then we give a premium.”

The quality of the beef is measured using an MIJ grading system which was developed in Japan where the Wagyu breed originated.

“We cut out the fifth rib and take an image [of the beef] with the MIJ which is a Japanese system that will give a marbling score for the meat. We pay the farmer a premium based on what the marbling score is.”

He explained that the marbling scoring goes from 1-10 and a higher premium is paid for the higher marbling scores.

He said: “We’re trying to incentivise meat quality and we influence that through feed.”

He explained that the BMS scale is the Wagyu marbling scale used in Japan and said: “What we’ve found is we think the sweet spot is from grade 4 to about 7 or 8.

“The really-highly marbled Japanese beef is fantastic but if you wanted to eat an 8oz steak of it, it’s probably too rich, so we’re trying to produce something that’s more marbled than standard beef in the UK and Ireland but you can still have your 8oz steak and it tastes great, but its not going to be too rich.”

Lizz Clarke discussed nutrition and feeding for Wagyu cattle to reach the desired marbling and nutrition of the animal from the calf stage through growth and onto beef.

Warrendale Wagyu Ireland representative Cathal Doyle said Wagyu-cross cattle tend to grade an O3 or O4 but explained: “We’re not paying on the EUROP grading system, we’re paying on the marbling score.”

He noted that some intensively-fed Wagyu cattle are finished at 17-months-of-age and some more extensively farmed cattle are finished at 30 months or older but said “a 23-24-month slaughter age is our average and what we are aiming at”.

Farmer prices

Dairy farmers producing the calves source the Artificial Insemination (AI) straws from Munster Bovine and Doyle explained: “The Wagyu bulls used are both short gestation and easy calving”.

“The cow aim is for a maintenance score of 14 or less with an average mature weight of 570kg.

“We are requiring all participating dairy farmers to be in the National Genotyping Programme (NGP) so calves are genotyped and also that the dairy farmer vaccinates the calf for pneumonia before the calf leaves the farm.”

The dairy farmer that produces the calf is paid €200 when the calf leaves the farm and an additional €50 when that calf is raised to beef and slaughtered. Farm collection and delivery is provided.

The pricing available to the beef farmer for these spring 2025 born calves when they are slaughtered in late 2026 or 2027 is as follows:

Marble score	Price/kg
0-2	€6.50
3	€6.80
4	€7.10
5	€7.20
6	€7.30
7	€7.40
8	€7.50
9+	€7.60

Doyle affirmed: “We are guaranteeing this price for the next two years. The minimum we can offer is €6.50/kg for a 0-2 marbling score, that’s what we’re offering minimum.

“In the UK last year, the average marbling score was 5 so you’re looking at the equivalent price of €7.20/kg here in Ireland.”

The table below is a sample pricing for three animals:

Age	Weight	Marbling score	Price/kg	Value
23.8 months	327kg	4	€7.10	€2,321.70
24.1 months	348kg	6	€7.30	€2,540.40
24.2 months	324kg	2	€6.50	€2,106.00

He said that carcasses in the UK are reaching 327kg at 23-months-of-age, but added that “realistically, we are saying because Irish cows are a touch smaller than your English cow, your carcass weights aren’t going to be the whole way up to that.

“We would like to think we would be at 290-310kg on average at them ages.

“So with a 324kg carcass at €6.50/kg you’re coming into €2,100. With a marbling score of 6 and a carcass weight of 348kg at €7.30/kg, you’re coming into €2,540.

“That’s where we’re aiming but at the 300kg carcass at €7/kg you’re still coming into €2,100/head.”

Calves produced through this system must be sourced through Warrendale Wagyu.

Wagyu payment structure

Farmer prices

Related Stories:

AHDB: Larger barley crop expected in UK

Outlook for beef prices to remain extremely positive in 2025

Heifers reach €4,300 at Ballybay Mart fatstock sale

Warrendale Wagyu

Up to €7.60/kg price contracts offered for Wagyu calf-to-beef