American-Raised Wagyu Beef Can Fetch $100 a Pound. Missouri Farms Are Signing Up for Business

By Hannah Race

More than 50 wagyu beef farms in Missouri are listed with the American Wagyu Association. Because Japan stopped exporting genetically pure wagyu cattle in 1997, most American farmers crossbreed the cattle with Angus beef cows.

The chance of finding premium Japanese wagyu beef can be pretty rare in the U.S., and Missouri farmers are starting to fill the gap.

A prime cut of wagyu beef exported from Japan on Amazon can cost up to $250 a pound, but what you’re buying is considered the finest piece of meat you can put on a plate.

To be considered authentic wagyu beef, it must come from purebred cows in specific regions in Japan, cows that are relatively scarce with deliberately formulated diets to achieve the proper ratio of fat to red meat, called “marbling.”

And the prices reflect the scarcity: 4 pounds of imported ground wagyu cost $69 on Amazon, a 12-ounce ribeye is $134 and two 8-ounce filets mignons are $250. A 10-pound Japanese wagyu rib roast on Amazon costs $1,215.

So, it is no surprise that Missouri farmers have tried to find a way to get into the wagyu business. Today, 51 wagyu beef farms in Missouri are listed with the American Wagyu Association.

But because Japan stopped exporting genetically pure wagyu cattle in 1997, declaring it a “national treasure,” most American farmers crossbreed the cattle with Angus beef cows.

Only a very small percentage of farmers in the U.S. have full-blooded stock descended from original bloodlines that are registered with the association.

Crossbreeding lowers the price, but American-raised wagyu beef is still quite expensive: Ground wagyu averages $14 to $16 per pound, ribeyes can cost $60 to $120 or more per pound, and a 7-pound rib roast costs more than $400.

Wagyu in Missouri

Douglas Wagyu Cattle Co. in Greenfield was established in 2020 by Jake and Cristina Douglas. The couple started the farm after Jake Douglas retired from the Navy and fell in love with Japanese A5 wagyu beef, the highest grade available.

“We both love wagyu,” Douglas said.

The farm was named grand champion winner at the 2024 Triple Crown Steak challenge, the only wagyu steak competition in the U.S.

Douglas said he and his wife follow the traditional Japanese model of raising wagyu beef on their farm, with humane practices, special feed, handpicked genetics and limited production.