HIGHLAND Wagyu has announced a groundbreaking partnership with internationally-renowned Aberdeen Angus breeders, W & D McLaren Ltd of Netherton Angus, that will create a game-changing Angus superherd.
In the next five years, beef breeding company Highland Wagyu is set to invest millions into a new Angus superherd, aiming for 1,000 head of cattle, in their quest to be at the top of the Angus beef industry and the pedigree-breeding world.
The innovative move includes the private purchase of a majority of the Netherton herd and to run it from both Netherton Farm and Blackford Farms under the guidance of W & D McLaren with William McLaren Jr taking charge of the day-to-day running of Highland Wagyu’s Angus herd, which runs under the Mohmar prefix.
William is the fourth generation of the McLaren Angus breeding family, which this year celebrates 90 years of dedicated Angus breeding. The breeders have sold Angus genetics to every continent in the last two years alone.
Said Mohsin Altajir, who runs Highland Wagyu with his wife, Martine Chapman: “We don’t believe in doing anything half heartedly.
“We bring in the professionals and make sure we’re the best. It’s worked for our Wagyu cattle. We did what we set out to be, we are the largest in the UK and the Wagyu are so popular that top chefs are lining up to put their names on our Wagyu cattle.
“We’ve always recognised the importance of the Aberdeen Angus breed and after long and careful deliberation, we thought the best way forward is to align ourselves with the best and we found that in W & D McLaren and Netherton Angus.
“We already have some of the best Angus foundation females in our 300-strong herd and, with the international know-how of William, the resources and scale of the Highland Wagyu operation, we can build up an elite herd with genetics to cater to the markets and revive the story of Scotland being home to the best beef in the world.
“The dream is to line both sides of the A9 with black cattle from Dunblane to Gleneagles and make Scotland a destination for any Angus buyer in the world.”
George McCulloch will continue to be herd manager for Highland Wagyu’s other breeds, which include 300 head of Fullblood Wagyu, 200 Shorthorns and a fold of Highlanders to convey the Scottish brand.
Mr McLaren Jr will retain a number of females and recipients, running the Netherton and Mohmar herds together.
Said William McLaren Jr of Netherton Farms: “Our family has always embraced innovation, being the first to weigh cattle in 1958 and one of the first to sell the entire adult part of our herd and this is another first with Highland Wagyu.
“The partnership benefits the Angus breed and the industry to build scale and diversity to breed lines for higher marbling, easy calving and fleshing and to provide both the beef and pedigree breeding that the world needs.
“It’s breaking new ground to unite the expertise of Netherton and Highland Wagyu in order to produce the best beef in the country.”
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Issued by JK Consultancy on behalf of Highland Wagyu. For further information and photographs, please contact Jenny Kumar on 07989 557198 / jenny@jkconsultancy.com
Notes to editor:
- Picture caption – Mohsin Altajir of Highland Wagyu flanked by (l) William McLaren Snr and (r) William McLaren Jnr.
- Netherton Farm extends to 330 acres and Netherton has been one of the top herds in the country for the past 30 years.
- William McLaren Sr and Jr have served as Past Presidents of the Angus Society. William Sr is in the Angus hall of fame in the US and has been awarded the Hugh Watson Memorial trophy for lifetime achievement with Aberdeen Angus and the Sir William Young Award.
- David Leggat of United Auctions carried out the cattle valuation for the partnership.
Highland Wagyu is a pedigree beef company, breeding premium Japanese Wagyu, Aberdeen Angus and Beef Shorthorn cattle with a mission to produce the best beef in the world from our 25,000-acre estate farm in Perthshire, Scotland.
Established by husband and wife Mohsin Altajir and Martine Chapman in 2011, our ethos of quality, respect and precision underpins everything we do.
Highland Wagyu sells directly to chefs. It is recognised as the largest producer of Wagyu cattle in the UK and on course to be the largest in Europe.
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Contact: Jenny Kumar
Phone: 07989557198
Email: jenny@jkconsultancy.com
Website: http://www.jkconsultancy.com
