Waygu beef offers a tasty opportunity for Welsh farmers

GROWING demand for grass-fed Wagyu beef could provide opportunities for farmers to produce these cattle on their own farms.

Farming Connect is hosting an event in Llandissilio next week at which the two men who created Pembrokeshire-based Natural Wagyu will set out their proposal for other farmers to be part of the supply chain.

Rob Cumine and Will Prichard have established markets for their Wagyu beef – and are now seeking to increase supply to match growing demand.

Mr Cumine, who will address farmers at the Farming Connect event on January 9, said the business hoped to link up with a small number of like-minded farmers.

“We have a couple of options in mind, one of which is to be part of a producer group with Natural Wagyu facilitating explained.

“We have had four producers who have worked with us this year to supply cattle and we want to grow that number.”

Natural Wagyu supplies Londonbased Whole Foods as well as many restaurants and food outlets and that customer base is increasing.

Originally from Japan, Wagyu beef is revered for its incredibly high level the marketing,” he of fat marbling. Most commercial Wagyu enterprises fatten their cattle in feedlots, but Natural Wagyu cattle are fed on grass and forage.

The company has invested in superior genetics and its bulls are in the top 1% of the breed globally.

Mr Cumine says that its proposal to farmers would enable them to produce beef in a way that would bring them closer to the end customer.