AuctionsPlus brings live Wagyu Breeding Values to online stud sale catalogues

A new integration between AuctionsPlus, the Australian Wagyu Association and Helical delivers live, filterable Wagyu Breeding Values in online stud sale catalogues, transforming how buyers research and select Wagyu genetics.

AuctionsPlus, the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA) and genetics data platform Helical have announced a partnership to embed live, filterable Wagyu Breeding Values (WBVs) directly into AuctionsPlus stud sale catalogues. The integration, announced at WagyuEdge 2026, is the result of extensive buyer research and positions the Australian Wagyu industry at the forefront of digital livestock selling.

The partnership was driven by data from a survey of more than 400 buyers, one of the most comprehensive studies of livestock buying behaviour undertaken in Australia. The findings painted a clear picture of a market that has moved decisively online, and one demanding better tools to match.

“One in two stud buyers are telling us their last purchase was made online, and 84% of those people intend to buy at the same rate or more into the future,” AuctionsPlus CEO Wyn Snyman said.

“If you’ve got product to take to market, you must think about how to guide that online community to get maximum value for your animals.”

The research found that Wagyu Breeding Values are now considered essential, not optional, in the buying process. Four in five buyers identified WBVs as one of the most important factors in their purchasing decisions, and 94% said they are comfortable using them to select animals.

“Wagyu Breeding Values need to be displayed dynamically and well in sale catalogues, because buyers expect them to be there,” Mr Snyman said.

“It’s not optional. It is an important factor in how buyers select an animal.”

Despite the growth of online buying, the research highlighted significant friction in the process. Seven in 10 buyers said they experience frustration when selecting animals online, with the most common pain points being difficulty comparing animals, inconsistent data across sale catalogues, and missing information. Nine in 10 buyers called for a single destination to research and purchase animals.

“Buyers are making complex decisions across different platforms, doing research over time, and accessing different data points,” Mr Snyman said.

The integration pulls Helical’s WBV data live into AuctionsPlus stud sale catalogues, meaning buyers always see the most current breeding values at the moment of bidding, not the figures printed in a catalogue weeks earlier.

“Sale catalogues get printed weeks in advance,” Mr Snyman said. “From that moment, they’re a snapshot in time. The integration with Helical allows us to bring the data as it is today onto the sale catalogue, so buyers are making decisions on the very latest Wagyu Breeding Values.”

Buyers can filter catalogue lots by specific WBVs, including Marble Score, Rib Fat and Full Blood Terminal Index, and custom ranges or selecting animals in the top five, 10 or 20% of a given trait. A catalogue of 130 animals can be narrowed to a targeted shortlist in seconds.

“Half of buyers told us they would bid more frequently and with more confidence if they could filter and shortlist animals themselves,” Mr Snyman said.

“More confident buyers means more bidding on your lots, and that means premiums are available to vendors.”

AWA COO Christian Duff said the integration addressed a long-standing need to make the breed’s data more accessible and actionable across the industry.

“The Wagyu industry generates a wealth of data and performance information,” Mr Duff said. “What’s critical is having a streamlined approach to get that out to industry so producers and buyers alike can make the best selection and the best buying decision.”

Charlie Perry, Principal of Trent Bridge Wagyu Stud, one of the first studs to feature in an integrated catalogue, said the tool fundamentally changes how buyers engage with a large sale offering.

“I’m very impressed with the way the whole catalogue dataset has been integrated in such a streamlined and efficient way,” Mr Perry said.

“In Wagyu particularly, a lot of our buyers have certain minimum and maximum specifications they’re looking for. So when we do a catalogue with 180 bulls, instead of them flicking through each one or asking me to send them an Excel spreadsheet. What this tool has enabled them to do is simply dive in and find exactly what they need.”

Helical CEO Dan Garrick said the partnership closes the loop between the investment producers make in data collection and genomic testing, and the return they receive at sale time.

“Producers invest a lot of money collecting data and in genomic testing,” Mr Garrick said. “This is an opportunity to drive a premium when those animals are sold, providing an additional return on that investment back to the producers who are committing to this data.”

Mr Snyman agreed. “This partnership takes this society and this industry and puts it at the forefront of online selling,” he said.

 View upcoming Angus Stud sales at AuctionsPlus