In November Kyushu University and its affiliated technology licensing organization, Kyushu TLO Company, will begin transferring a method for fattening cattle with natural grasses instead of animal feed to the private sector. The aim is to develop a market for the grass-fed beef, which has been branded Q Beef. Since 2001 Kyushu University has been researching grazing on a pasture it owns in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture. The method involves giving calves a diet of high protein milk and feed until they are 10 months old then switching them to natural grasses. Not only does it produce high quality marbled beef, it could help reduce feed costs that farmers incur and help combat the nationwide problem of fields being left fallow. The system also integrates IT by allowing farmers to manage feeding and view pasture webcams on their smartphones. Q Beef cows end up weighing 20% more than their non-grass-fed counterparts, which means more meat can be processed into steaks, hamburgers and the like. Kyushu TLO has started test sales of three to four cows’ worth of meat per year and hopes to expand this to 100 in five years. Kyushu University hopes that farmers around the country will adopt their method. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 10/28
Image source: Iwatani
