THE GDL Premium Wagyu Sale was hosted online through AuctionsPlus on November 17, with demand from a number of states driving the gross of 25 lots sold to $217,555.
Live cattle went to southern Queensland and northern NSW and genetics were bought up by Western Australia, South Australia and southern NSW buyers, with the sale seeing 75 registered bidders, 25 active bidders and 153 online bids places.
GDL Harvey Weyman-Jones said there was plenty of bidders online, but few sales made during the auction with eight lots sold when the timed sale closed.
"After sale negotiations saw sellers and buyers trying to meet the market, resulting in 25 sales in total," Mr Weyman-Jones said.
"This was the same pattern experienced in the Elite Wagyu Sale on November 4, where the gross sale doubled from the close of the auction to the final results."
Overall eight fullblood Wagyu bulls sold to a $12,000 top and averaged $6438.
The $12,000 sale-topper was Olive Grove Wagyu Q07 snapped up by Nadine Kucks of Black Marble Wagyu stud, Theodore, Qld.
Offered by Olive Grove Wagyu at Glenarbon, Qld, the rising 14-month-old was by Sumo Cattle Co Michifuku F154 and out of The Wright Wagyu Hayafuku G208.
Fertility and high estimated breeding values (EBVs) made the bull a choice lot, with his Fullblood Terminal Index sitting him top one per cent of the breed, and carcase EBV, Self Replacing Index and F1 Terminal Index in the top 5pc.
Ms Kucks also previously bought heifers from Western Australia two weeks ago in Elite Wagyu sale.
Two fullblood pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers sold to a $10,000 top and averaged $8500, while 62 first cross to third cross cows and heifers sold at $1800 a head.
Sahara Park Ms Itozurudoi P5, a daughter of Itozurudoi TF-151 (IMP USA), made the $10,000 top money in the females. Offered by Grasslands Wagyu, TLG, Camperdown, Vic, the PTIC female was joined to Tyddewi N3709, and was bought by Mark Petsch, Yarraford Station, Glen Innes.
Mr Petsch also purchased 50 straws of Mayura Pinnacle for $60 a dose.
In the genetics section, 11 packages of fullblood Wagyu embryos were sold to a $2000 an embryo top and averaged $1382/embryo.
The high-selling embryos were a package of four embryos out of donor female Capital Country Wagyu Suzunami 2 sired by Mayura L0010, offered by Capital Country Wagyu, TGL, Camperdown, Vic and purchased by Western Australian buyer Kelvan Wren of White Point Wagyu, Augusta.
Mr Wren also bought three embryos from Sumo Cattle Co Fuku P116 by Mayura Pinnacle for $1600 each.
In total 309 straws of fullblood Wagyu semen was sold and averaged $72 a straw, with a top of $360/straw reached for 10 straws of Sunnyside Q0540, a son of Coates Itoshigenami G113, offered by Sunnyside Wagyu, Inverell, and purchased by new buyer starting up in the breed Tony Menkens, Salt Water Grazing Pty Ltd, Armidale.
Demand for Wagyu cattle has eased this last six months, Mr Weyman-Jones said, with the international market suffering from problems with coronavirus, economic downturn, and in-turn the low demand for luxury beef in high end restaurants.
"There has also been reduced demand over the past 12 months for Wagyu bulls to breed F1 (first cross) progeny, with more Angus bulls purchased this year rather than Wagyu to breed back replacements females," he said.
"There is now a shortage of F1 cattle available for sale, and prices are rising rapidly which will lead on to increased demand for Wagyu bulls next year to suit F1 market."