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AWA DATABASE
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AWA DATABASE

Membership with the AWA

Join a globally connected family of Wagyu businesses and breeders

Year-round member benefits

Membership with the Australian Wagyu Association allows members to focus on maximising the outcomes of their Wagyu business through access to the latest genetic improvement data, animal registration and pedigree information, production system innovations and improved access to the Wagyu supply chain.

The Australian Wagyu Association is based in Armidale, NSW, but serves a global membership with a dedicated staff and is overseen by our Board of Directors.

WAGYU PORTAL

Join AWA

As the industry’s peak body, the Australian Wagyu Association is the trusted voice in Australia and overseas. When you become a member, you’re joining a global family of over 1,400 Wagyu breeders.

Member benefits

The Australian Wagyu Association delivers benefits to its members through

Genectis and data management
DNA testing, pedigree, registration and genomic analysis. Access to tools that will assist members to maximise the outcomes of their Wagyu business through accelerated genetic improvement, production system management and access to the beef supply chain
Communication, connection and collaboration
Industry insights, newsletter, industry information updates, advice and access to the latest genetic improvement data, animal registration and pedigree information, production system innovations and improved access to the Wagyu supply chain
Promotion
Run events like annual WagyuEdge Conference and Tour, Elite Wagyu Sale and Wagyu Branded Beef Awards with reduced entry fee for members 

 

We have a team of dedicated specialists in the AWA office that will assist members with all registration and DNA enquiries of our members. We also manage the world’s largest Wagyu database for parentage and genetic analysis with over 22,000 sires and 150,000 dams registered in the system. Each year, more than 25,000 calves are added into the database.

Analysis is undertaken by a leading genetic evaluation system on 14 key Wagyu production traits and four selection $indexes reporting the results every two weeks so breeders can make the informed breeding decision with the latest information. Over 100,000 genotypes are included in this analysis across 250,000 animals spanning up to ten generations. 

Membership types

Full member

Full membership suits those in the Wagyu industry who are focused on Fullblood, Crossbred and Purebred, cattle breeding and commercial beef production.

Only full members shall be entitled to record and register Wagyu cattle. Full members can record Wagyu Fullblood and Crossbred Wagyu cattle and their performance data in the Herd Book, Crossbred and Commercial Wagyu registers maintained by the Association, Verify Wagyu breed content through the Wagyu Breed Verification Program, participate in Wagyu Genetic Analysis in BREEDPLAN enrolment and performance data entry. This is a free service.

Participate in research and development projects and request export certification of live animals, semen and embryos.

Members have online access through the Wagyu Portal to the following Australian Wagyu Association member services:

  • Herd maintenance and management
  • Performance data entry for calf and dam (birth, weaning, yearling, scan and final traits)
  • Calf registrations in real time
  • Animal transfers
  • Membership updates (contact details, property address etc)
  • Account management (billing, payment etc)

Living outside Australia?

New members are welcome to join as AWA members to enjoy the year-round benefits that the AWA has to offer. As a full member, you can complete DNA testing, pedigree, registration and genomic analysis services and access the Member Area of the Wagyu Portal.

If your animals are registered with another Wagyu Association, they can also be registered with the Australian Wagyu Association — whether they reside (or you) outside of Australia or not. Sales for livestock, semen and embryos can be advertised with the AWA.

Export and import of livestock and genetics: If the animals are registered with the Australian Wagyu Association, we can assist with documentation such as the five-generation pedigree information often required by other countries.

Genetics and DNA analysis

DNA Parent Verification and testing for genetic conditions can be completed through the AWA with a number of affiliated Association laboratories through submission of tissue samples.

Associate members

Associate membership if for a person or corporation interested in the Wagyu breed or involved in associated industries like wholesale/retail meat distribution and/or hospitality. Associate membership is not available to persons involved in the breeding of Wagyu who wish to register Wagyu Fullblood or Crossbred cattle. 

Marketing opportunities, information and education are provided for the Wagyu industry to enhance their businesses. Associate membership is open to Australian and those living overseas.

Animal registration and transfer

Animal registration is the fundamental building block for seedstock production. It aims to record the animal along with its sire and dam, which must already be registered, therefore establishing the pedigree ‘tree’. To ensure the sire and dam are correct, DNA Parent Verification is required prior to calf registration. 

Full members of the AWA may register Fullblood, Purebred and Crossbred Wagyu breeding animals and commercial slaughter animals. This enables the recording of performance data for genetic analysis through Wagyu BREEDPLAN leading to increased accuracy of EBVs and the BreedObject $Indexes. 

AWA member handbook

How does the registration process work?

Full membership is required prior to registration and submission of performance records for genetic evaluation. Sire and dam verification using DNA parent verification testing is require prior to registration. Registration is a two-stage process: DNA testing to determine parentage and Cattle Registration based on parentage.

To register a calf, a DNA sample is taken and sent to a testing laboratory to identify the sire and dam, whereupon it can be registered with the AWA with parent verification. Genetic condition testing can also be completed for recessive disorders. Registration certificates can be provided. We encourage breeders to collect weight and trait data for all calves and mature cows for submission to Wagyu BREEDPLAN to improve the accuracy of the EBVs

DNA testing using genomic 50,000 SNP information enables parent verification and parent discovery. Where parents cannot be identified, a genomic Crossbred Wagyu Test provides information on the Wagyu content to be enable registration as a Crossbred.

The DNA Test Request Form is used to initiate testing and is updated regularly, check you have the current one each time you request a DNA test.

Crossbred Wagyu Test DNA Test Request

Animal transfers

Once an animal is sold, notify AWA by completing a Transfer form or updating the animal’s registration certificate. Complete transfer details on the back of the animal’s registration certificate and then post the certificate to the AWA at:

Australian Wagyu Association

Suite 6, 146 Marsh Street
Armidale, NSW 2350 Australia

Updates on the latest AWA systems

Learn more about DNA testing process, handling of results, TSUs vs hair samples and failed samples / low call rates. Genomic SNP vs Parentage SNP, parent discovery vs parent verification, registrations and animal transfers.

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Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
  • AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
  • AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
  • EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
  • EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
  • Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
  • AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams.  As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
  • The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
  • The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.

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