Three decades
of genetic evaluation and performance recording to support breeding decisions
A herd rivalled as one of the true pioneers of the Australian Wagyu Industry. Sumo Wagyu’s seedstock operation of 1400 premium fullblood black and red Wagyu is situated in Grafton, New South Wales, Australia, in the Northern Rivers region.
For over three decades, our team has been dedicated to breeding foundation fullblood Wagyu and developing the prestige of the Wagyu breed in both Australia and emerging international markets. Our multi-faceted approach to breeding Wagyu utilises in depth pedigree and prefecture analysis, maternal fertility and performance recording, carcass quality assessment and more recently 100K SNP genomic evaluation. The tireless efforts to continuously analyse, improve and share superior Wagyu genetics and carcass data, as well as educate others in the greater Wagyu community worldwide, is what makes Sumo Wagyu so unique.
With a commitment to quality and genetic evaluation since the original Takeda Farm import in 1997, Sumo Wagyu foundation genetics were selected based on superior phenotypical confirmation (large frames, flat back and high milk production) along with a genetic analysis of outstanding carcass results achieved at the Tokyo Meat markets and the famous national Zenkyo carcass competition.
Sumo Wagyu’s initial Takeda Farm selection comprised of six cow families:
Five sires
Our herd has produced some of the most elite and prized progenies of the Australian Wagyu herd.
With a portion of the Sumo herd being selected for feedlot entry every year, Sumo Wagyu are able to assess critical carcass data within their selection criteria to continuously improve future Wagyu generations.
This influential carcass data has been a driving force behind the consistency and accuracy of Sumo sires and the reason they regularly rank as trait leaders in marble score, carcass weight and SRI (self-replacing index) in the Australian Wagyu herd book.
The proven carcass capabilities of Sumo sires have been recognised in AWA Branded Beef competitions with Sumo’s most awarded sire ltoshigenami X81 famously siring the Grand champion carcass winner of the 2014 AWA branded beef competition and was the grandsire of the 2018 Gold medal winner.
In order to expand their Wagyu footprint, Sumo Wagyu operates one of the largest embryo transfer operations in Australia, with more than 70 elite full blood donors regularly flushed to collect embryos for both domestic and international sale.
The utilisation of innovative artificial breeding techniques such as embryo transfer, artificial insemination, sexed semen and IVF procedures, has ensured that elite genetics from Sumo’s top performing animals have been shared with astute Wagyu breeders worldwide.
With the majority of the Sumo herd ranked in the top 20% of all full blood Wagyu animals according to selection indices, Sumo Wagyu continues to honour founder Simon Coates’s mission to establish ‘One of the most elite Wagyu herd’s (outside of Japan) in the Western World today’.
We will send you our latest updates, limited releases and sales events.
