At the 44th "Kyushu Kuchinai System Wagyu Beef and Beef Meat Co-Conference", JA farmers from eight prefectures in Kyushu and Okinawa competed in a fattening technology competition, and Kagoshima Prefecture won the team championship for the fifth consecutive year. The individual gold medal (Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award) was awarded to Ushiyuki Nakayama of Kamiya City, the sixth consecutive year that the prefecture has won the gold medal.
A total of 134 Wagyu cattle from each prefecture participated in the competition, with 17 cattle from each prefecture. All 17 Wagyu cattle from Kagoshima Prefecture were graded A5, the highest grade, with an average BMS of 11.82 and a maximum of 12, two grades higher than last year.
Mr. Takashi Nakayama (69), a representative from Nakayama Co., Ltd. said, "I have been raising cattle for 45 years, but this is the award I have been seeking for a long time. I am grateful to my family and employees, and I hope to continue to be a producer who can bring out the full potential of cattle.
This is the result of all the farmers' efforts," said Yutaka Kuriki, general manager of the beef cattle division of the Japan Agricultural Cooperative Association. This result has brought vitality to Kagoshima.