Japan’s wagyu beef farmers look to conquer the world after Hong Kong success
- Exports of meat famed for its tenderness and marbled fat, and which costs up to US$125 a kilo, have risen over 200 per cent in five years
- Hong Kong is the top export market, but with abattoirs getting EU accreditation and halal certification for Muslim countries, farmers are looking to go global
In a lush field in the heart of the Japanese mountains, a herd of glossy black cows roam happily – prime examples of the area’s Hida wagyu beef.
With consumption of the famed meat, known for its melt-in-the-mouth tenderness and marbled fat, on the decline in Japan, producers are looking overseas to boost sales instead.
Will Hong Kong buy US$102 wagyu beef sandwich, one of world’s priciest?
The Hida brand might not yet have the recognition of famed Kobe beef, but overall the international profile of wagyu is on the rise. The value of exports has risen more than 200 per cent in the past five years – Hong Kong is currently the largest market.
About an hour from Takayama, a town that attracts tourists with its traditional wooden houses, dozens of cows owned by different farmers have free range across a 250-hectare plot leased by the local municipality.
They spend the warm summer months in the tranquil greenery and return to the warmth of the stables when winter comes around. There they give birth to calves that are the product of carefully organised breeding to protect the “purity” of each cow’s bloodline.