Bald Ridge Wagyu and Genetic Edge Australia

 Beef from Wagyu cattle is known for its high quality which is the result of ‘marbling’ or the presence of a greater number of intra-muscular fat cells. The superior taste and health benefits of this variety of beef are widely acknowledged and as a result of this, the product carries a premium price.

Australia produces some of the best Wagyu beef in the world.  One of the foremost breeding operations in the country is Bald Ridge Wagyu, a highly professional and competent business enterprise which provides 100% fullblood elite Wagyu genetics.

 Start of the company

Bald Ridge Wagyu, a family run business, was established in 1997 and today is at the forefront of the industry in the country and has a rapidly expanding international footprint. Rick Hunter, Chief Executive Officer and owner of the company, explains how he started, “We are in the Wagyu cattle business. Previous to that we raised Angus cattle and we added Wagyu to our Angus operation in 1997 when the first Wagyu fullblood cattle became available in Australia.

Wagyu is a Japanese breed of cattle and quite simply the word translates into Japanese cow. It produces a highly marbled beef sometimes known as Kobe beef.  We started with three fullblood Wagyu heifers in 1997 and through the use of embryo transfer and artificial insemination we expanded our herd.

Our core business then was selling both Wagyu and Angus bulls and since then we have decided to go out of the Angus business and now we are a 100% fullblood Wagyu operation, producing both black Wagyu and red Wagyu. Red Wagyu are quite rare in Australia. We probably have one of the most significant red Wagyu herds of cattle in the whole world.”

Extensive operations

There is a great demand for Wagyu beef world-wide and therefore there is a strong demand for Wagyu bulls. Bald Ridge Wagyu  plays a critical role in this supply chain by providing bulls and genetics to this market.

The company aims to produce exceptional quality, large frame Wagyu cattle with high marbling at its Mudgee, New South Wales farm. Both the bulls and females bred at the farm are in high demand as are the genetics that are produced here. Genetic Edge Australia, established in 2012, is the part of the business that specialises in embryo collection, embryo transfer and artificial insemination and is an AQIS accredited facility for export.

Rick Hunter describes the role of his company in the beef industry, “We are 100% full blood Wagyu producers. The majority of the bulls that we sell go to producers who own Angus or other breeds of females. They cross them with Wagyu bulls and that produces a first cross, or an F1 Wagyu, which is the highest proportion of the Wagyu industry.  Currently about 80% of Wagyu beef production in Australia is exported and about 20% is consumed domestically.

At present, we supply embryos for export to USA, South Africa, New Zealand and some Asian countries and our immediate goal is to supply to Canada, China and countries in South America including Brazil and Argentina in particular.”

Established presence in the Australian and international markets

The company has very strong relationships with its clients both in Australia and other countries. It already has a significant presence in the USA where the Wagyu industry is undergoing a growth period.

The company works closely with producers and feedlots in Australia. These include the Australian Agricultural Company who are the biggest cattle producer in Australia, Rangers Valley feedlot and Macquarie Downs feedlot.  Also the live export trade through Edwards Livestock.

Expertise in genetics

Bald Ridge Wagyu and Genetic Edge Australia has a well-earned reputation in the Wagyu industry. It has used this to rapidly expand its business in the country and make deep forays in the international markets. The embryos and semen produced by the company are in great demand and command high prices.

“We have a very successful track record with embryo collection. The same with semen collection. The other, more recent facet of our business, is the production of sexed embryos. Genetic Edge has very good results with producing sexed embryos.

Our premises are approved by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) and these are audited every year.”

A family run business in the international arena

The work on the farm is done by Rick and his wife, Dawne. Their two daughters, Hallie and Abby, help out in busy times and more particularly with the media side of the work.  Abby has just finished a degree in media and communications and she looks after the company website and social media platforms. The company has employed several interns – two young ladies from Norway and a young man from Texas who have come over to learn about cattle and cattle breeding in Australia.

This family operation produces some of the finest Wagyu genetics in the world. “The Australian Wagyu Association just had their, annual conference and an international sale at Yeppoon, Queensland on the 9th of May. Bald Ridge Wagyu’s six red embryos topped the embryo section of the sale, and that too, was the highest price of the entire sale.

We achieved top price in January at the Mile High Sale in Denver, Colorado, likewise at the Texas Wagyu sale in Salado, Texas. We have a world renowned Red Wagyu bull, Red Star C402 who has just won the Wagyu Champion of Asia and Africa Award in the Wagyu of the World Competition. Along with that, this bull’s heifer calf won Grand Champion at the inaugural Houston Livestock Wagyu show and was later sold for a record price of $44,000 at the Texas Wagyu Association sale.”

Further expansion

Bald Ridge Wagyu and Genetic Edge Australia has entrenched itself into the Wagyu beef industry and has recently acquired property in Texas with the purpose of fulfilling its vision of building an international market. The Texas acquisition will result in the company becoming a fullblood Wagyu breeder in the USA and will enable it to sell embryos directly to the US market and Mexico as well.  The company hopes to expand into the Chinese and South American markets.