TOKYO, Aug. 9 — The Livestock Improvement Association of Japan announced on Aug. 8 that it has newly selected Fukukatsutsuru as an elite breeding Japanese Black cattle.
Fukukatsutsuru is a son of legendary breeding cattle Fukunohime who died of acute heart failure in June.
Assessments of carcass performance data of fattened steers and heifers of Fukukatsutsuru showed that the average Beef Marbling Standard (BMS) score marked 10.2, record high for the association.
Its genomic breeding value, evaluated based on genetic information, exceeded that of Fukunohime in all traits, ranking top in carcass weight, rib eye area, thickness of short ribs and the dressing percentage.
Fukukatsutsuru’s semen will be marketed starting in October.
Fukukatsutsuru’s mother is Katsutadahira-sired, a breed of Fujiyoshi, one of the major Japanese Black strains.
The association’s comprehensive performance assessment of three major carcass traits — carcass weight, BMS and rib eye area — showed that Fukukatsutsuru was ranked top in terms of breeding value among all of the 54 breeding bulls it holds.
The weak point of Fukunohime progeny which tended to have thick subcutaneous fat was improved, making Fukukatsutsuru flawless on a high level and the leading candidate to succeed Fukunohime, according to the association.
It is the second time for a Fukunohime-sired bull to be selected as an elite breeding bull, following the selection of Fukunotsuru in August last year.
“We believe the sudden death of Fukunohime had a great impact on cattle producers, but we hope they will revitalize (their business) using Fukukatsutsuru,” said an official of the association.
Fukukatsutsuru has already been attracting a lot of attention.
At an auction for wagyu calves held at the Shibukawa livestock market in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, in July, the prefecture’s livestock experiment station shipped Atsuda 37324, a Fukukatsutsuru-sired heifer, born when Fukukatsutsuru was a candidate for an elite sire.
The calf was priced at 5.767 million yen excluding tax, a new record high at the market.
The heifer’s mother is Atsuda 373, also the mother of Fukunotsuru.
Fukukatsutsuru selected as an elite sire by the Livestock Improvement Association of Japan PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIVESTOCK IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN