New board members elected at 2023 Wagyu AGM
The Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 6th, held at Allee Bleue Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was a successful gathering of members. The meeting addressed both the challenges faced and the achievements made during the last year. The AGM provided an opportunity to acknowledge the challenges and achievements of the Society in its mission to promote and enhance the Wagyu industry in South Africa.
Challenges:
Facilitating Access to Export Markets: The Society faced challenges in ensuring access to export markets for Wagyu products.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD): Addressing FMD was another important challenge, as it can impact the movement and trade of livestock.
High Input Costs: The rising input costs in the Wagyu industry posed economic challenges.
Achievements:
Revised Strategic Focus: The Society successfully revised its strategic focus, likely to address the challenges it faced.
Revised Per Capita Levies: Changes in per capita levies were made to support the Society’s initiatives.
Defining CWB Protocol: The Society defined the CWB (Certified Wagyu Beef) protocol, ensuring a clear and structured process.
Genetic Evaluation: The establishment of a well-structured genetic evaluation system was an achievement.
Dedicated Members: Despite challenges, dedicated members continued to produce animals.
Participation in the Hong Kong Food Expo: The Society successfully attended the Hong Kong Food Expo, expanding its presence in international markets.
Increase in Breeding Females: The number of breeding females increased from 5949 to 6312.
Sustained Carcass Growth: Slaughter data indicated sustained weekly growth in carcass numbers.
Recognition in Genomic Technologies: Wagyu SA gained recognition as a leader in genomic technologies within the LRF (Livestock Research Foundation) members.
World-Class CWB Protocol: The CWB protocol, with its traceability measures, is regarded as a leading program in South Africa.
During the year, two Board members, Ms. Karen Hoffman (Product Support) and Mr. Francois Loots (CWB), resigned from their positions. The Society expressed its gratitude for their service. Mr. Henning Klopper was nominated and elected to the board, while Dr. John Grewar was coopted onto the board, filling the vacancies. Congratulations and best wishes to Henning and John in their new roles.
Bob Hobson – President
Johan Strydom – Vice-President, Corporate Governance and Finance
Fritz Bezuidenhout – Certified Wagyu Beef
Waldo Scheepers – Breed Improvement and Genomics
Dr Baldwin Nengovhela – Social Development
Henning Klopper – Product Support
Dr John Grewar – Export Facilitation
