Wagyu beef breeders from across Victoria and Tasmania are looking to expand and have looked at TLG for inspiration.
About 20 members of Southern Wagyu Breeders Association hosted a field day at TLG’s Camperdown facilities in late 2024, learning about the range of services on offer.
The association was formed in early 2024 to support southern Wagyu breeders.
Committee member Vanessa Ingram Daniel said the association aimed to support, advocate for and promote Wagyu breeders and connect like-minded people for networking.
“A lot of breeders in Victoria are small and some struggle to get shipments of cattle together, but we’re looking to bring farmers together to advance the breed,” she said.
The Camperdown event was one in a series that brings breeders together to learn from each other and others in the industry.
“We looked at semen collection, heard from a specialist in embryo transfer and were able to view bulls sold by Genetics Australia, including some from breeders within the group,” Vanessa said.
“We were impressed. It was an informative event and it was good to see bulls that are being sold around the world.
“If you wanted to wrap something up in a day and learn about genetics and semen collection, TLG is a really good place to go.”
Camperdown and Glenormiston operations manager Ruth Barber said the TLG facility had a lot to offer beef breeders.
“Hosting the group was a way to open the doors for existing and potential future clients,” Ruth said.
The tour focussed on semen collection services, embryo and IVF services and TLG’s ability to export to many markets, especially as the only EU approved semen collection centre in Australia.
There was also strong emphasis on the integrated technology available to support semen production and ensure the best product is going out.
The visiting breeders also learnt about how TLG can replicate their breeding genetics through embryo transfer or IVF and exporting those products and collect semen for their own use.
“That collection service is like an insurance policy to protect the bull’s genetics.”
Ruth said the tour was a good opportunity to meet existing clients in person and to give them an opportunity to see the lab in action, while also introducing new people to the services.
“We’ve had a lot of enquiries and we’re looking forward to the IVF space continuing to grow over the coming year,” she said.
