A charismatic businessman and fifth-generation farmer, David Blackmore was the first to import Wagyu cattle to Australia, in the 1990s. He imported the cattle through the United States as there was no established trade protocol between Australia and Japan at the time. Wagyu were a source of pride and there was intense pressure to retain the genes solely in Japan. ‘It’s their culture and heritage,’ explains Blackmore. ‘The Japanese still wish that the export had never happened.’ Blackmore managed to obtain semen and embryos from the disputed export stock from Shogo Takeda and from those he introduced the first Wagyu genetics to Australia.
Blackmore now exports cattle to Japan, to meet the demand caused by increased beef consumption and a decrease in young Japanese entering the farming business. He also exports to the United States, Korea, Hong Kong and China.
Only Wagyu cattle that have a 100-per-cent pure bloodline from Japan are considered full-blooded Japanese cattle. And it is this beef that commands premium prices in Australia and around the world.
Blackmore is the pioneer of refining Wagyu genes in Australia. The Australian climate can be too harsh for the Wagyu’s sensitive disposition, and Blackmore has undertaken extensive research in order to compensate for this. In addition to being kept in a covered and ventilated feedlot, Blackmore’s cattle stand on sawdust, which is gentle on the hooves and thus reduces stress. ‘Stress will give you bad beef,’ claims Blackmore, ‘so I want my herds to be as comfortable as possible’.
Blackmore won’t be talked into divulging his secret recipe for the feed on which he rears his herds. He does, however, reveal one ingredient: beer. ‘Stout is better as it contains more yeast,’ he explains. ‘It gets the bacteria in the stomach going.’ While it might appear Blackmore tends the most spoilt herd of cattle in history, everything he does to ensure the animals’ comfort is underpinned by a stern business objective, and Blackmore has made a profitable business providing what chefs, diners and farmers agree is the best eating beef on the market.
Some believe that Wagyu beef from southern parts of Australia is of a higher quality than that of beef from the north, mainly because the climate is gentler on the cattle with its cooler temperatures and lush pastures to nurture the delicate animals.
According to Blackmore, there are four pillars of quality Wagyu production: genetics, farm management, feed, and how the catttle are handled at the abattoir. Blackmore continues to benefit from ongoing support and advice from Mr Takeda, the Japanese farmer who first exported live Wagyu cattle to the United States.