PARDOO Beef Corporation has this year started implementing large-scale development plans and is focused on improving the meat quality of its herd.
Since January Pardoo has been testing the market by purchasing Wagyu and Angus cattle from the South West of Western Australia.
There have been many changes since the new Singaporean-based owners purchased the 202,000 hectare station in 2015.
Currently running 5800 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle, the station is looking to transform its breeder base to pure Wagyu.
For 2016, Pardoo Beef Corporation has been working on building a dependable supply to implement into its breeding program, but said it was working on a small scale at this stage.
Pardoo Beef Corporation, run by Bruce Cheung, also teamed up this year with new chief executive officer Brett Blanchett - previously of Liveringa Pastoral Company - to build one of the largest irrigation programs in the Pilbara region.
Since Mr Cheung purchased the Pilbara station, north of Port Hedland, he has focused on the agricultural side of the business, including an irrigation project for stock fodder and a new cattle conditioning complex.
The company currently operates six irrigation pivots and has plans to add a further six in the next 12 months.
Mr Blanchett said Pardoo station will become heavily reliant on its irrigation pivots.
Mr Cheung said he hoped the station would one day carry 60 irrigation pivots to support a Pilbara Wagyu herd, but said they will be closely monitoring those numbers as they go.
Pardoo Corporation said in order to fulfil its vision of transforming the Pilbara beef industry, access to water was an essential prerequisite.
"Pardoo Beef Corporation and its neighbouring pastoral partners ultimately require water licenses totalling 100GL to irrigate 6000 hectares of crops using groundwater from a regional water resource," a spokesperson for the corporation said.
With an initial $45 million investment in land, cattle and centre pivots in 2016, Pardoo will initially irrigate 400-500 hectares of crops.
Pardoo Beef Corporation has established partnerships with key industry players in Western Australia, Queensland and Hokkaido, Japan.
The company said it plans to carefully monitor genetic research and feeding programs to ensure that the best outcome is achieved for this pioneering venture.
With the support of regional partners and fulfilling government licensing requirments it will allow an expansion of 25 pivots using 30gL over 1600 hectares to support 13,000 Wagyu breeders by 2020.
The project was granted State Significant status on August 30, 2016.
