Birth of 25 Wagyu F1 calves will launch specialisation

THE birth of 25 Wagyu F1 calves next spring will be part of Pat Whelan’s drive to improve the product he offers customers – and introduce a new element of specialisation in the Irish market.

The chairman of the Tipperary Food Producers, he rears Angus and Hereford on his farm. He learned about Wagyu cattle and their Kobe beef during a Bord Bia-organised visit to Japan.

“Bord Bia runs a programme called Inspiration, and they went to Japan and Australia to look at what’s happening there. I travelled to Japan, where, as part of the course, we came across Wagyu cattle, which have become world famous. The breed can develop concentrated inter-muscular marbling which, according to research, can reduce cholesterol, because it has an oily property similar to fish.”