A cattle farmer from regional NSW has sold the most expensive cow, going for a whopping $400,000. “We were fortunate enough to have two people in a public auction”. Jono Elphic, a cattle farmer in Inverell has successfully sold a $400,000 cow to a lucky bidder from Oolong, China.
A Wagyu heifer has sold for $400,000 at the Elite Wagyu Sale in Melbourne, setting a record for the most expensive beef animal sold in Australia. The 13-month-old, sold as Lot 1 Sunnyside S0014, was purchased by Yulong Invest.
Wagyu Cows – Approximate Price – $30,000
Steakhouse aficionados will also understand why the Wagyu cows are the most expensive type of cow in the world. Their meat is among some of the most delicious and highly sought-after in the world. This cow originally hails from Japan.
Angus: $280,000 for Millah Murrah Paratrooper R38, sold by Ross Thompson's Millah Murrah Angus Stud, NSW to Rodger Pryce, Brooklana Angus Stud, Dorrigo, NSW, at the 2021 Millah Murrah Sale, September 2021. The sale also set a new all-breeds Australian record for sale average price, at $34,220.
A single certified wagyu cow can cost as much as $30,000, which is 10 times more than the typical American Angus.
The Price Tag
Wagyu beef is considered one of the most expensive meats in the world. In fact, the price for authentic Japanese A5 Wagyu lies between €300 and €550 per kilogram. However, there are some reasons why it is so costly. First, it takes years to develop the right genetics to make the perfect wagyu beef.
Overall, cattle are fed a high-energy diet twice or three times daily from 11 months of age until slaughter at 28 to 30 months of age.
This is despite restocker demand increasing average heifer prices more than steers on a year-on-year basis. 200-280kg steers averaged $1,745/head in FY22, while heifers averaged $1,588/head in the same weight category.
And perform it did in 2022. In fact, at its annual on-property sale it broke multiple breed records on the one day. A Charolais bull hit a breed high of $115,000 and a record breed average of $28,170 for 94 bulls, while an Ultrablack sire hit a breed record of $70,000.
Pregnant cows, worth $1,200 a head in northern New South Wales three years ago now have a $2,000 price tag, while heifers have gone from $350 a head to $800 in three years.
A STEER auction in the American city of Houston has re-written the record books, with the top-priced animal selling for US$1 million at the weekend. The auction was held on the closing weekend of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), which is largest of its kind in the world (click here for more on the show).
Beef cattle are generally the most profitable and easiest livestock to raise for profit. Beef cattle simply require good pasture, supplemental hay during the winter, fresh water, vaccinations and plenty of room to roam. You can buy calves from dairy farms inexpensively to start raising beef cattle.
The dominant dairy breed in Australia is the Holstein Friesian, accounting for around 75% of all dairy cattle. Other important breeds include the Jersey, the Holstein/Jersey cross, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and local breeds, the Australian Red and the Illawarra.
The Australian Friesian Sahiwal, is an Australian breed of dairy cattle whose development commenced in the 1960s by the Queensland Government. It is a combination of the Sahiwal, a dairy breed of Bos indicus from Pakistan and Holstein (Bos taurus) breeds, designed for the tropical regions of Australia.
Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working cattle station. It is located in the Australian state of South Australia.
A Droughtmaster bull sold for $220,000 at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange Gracemere, breaking the breed's world record.
When the price for one bull hits the $900,000 mark, it creates a lot of interest anywhere, but especially in a town like Scotia, Nebraska.
Australian ewes rated the highest in the world, with close to 100kg of live weight produced per ewe over their lifetime. The high productivity of Australian ewes is what drives the profitability of Australian farms.
You should be able to keep between 0.5 and 1.1 cows per acre on average pasture.
These animals cost farmers as much as $30,000 each, which is as much as 10 times more than the typical American Angus! In other words, Wagyu are veritable cash cows! Proper care and a good diet ensure that each investment turns a profit in a few years.
Is an A1 or A5 Wagyu better? A5 Wagyu is regarded as the best grade, so A5 is better than A1 Wagyu in terms of overall quality.
Because Kobe beef exemplifies everything that makes Wagyu better! It is considered the most abundantly marbled beef in the world. To be labelled Kobe, cattle must meet stringent standards upon slaughter. Due to these stringent standards, only 3,000 head of cattle qualify as authentic Kobe cattle each year.