Originally published by Jon Condon of Ag Property Central
25.03.2026
Gina Rinehart’s cattle arm, Hancock Agriculture has made a significant property move in Western Australia’s Midwest, designed to expand the company’s Fullblood Wagyu production capacity.
The company has recently taken possession of 6900ha Mt Adams station inland from Dongara and Port Denison, about 350km northwest of Perth.
The asset, previously leased by Hancock Prospecting to a third party, will expand the company’s WA Fullblood Wagyu breeding capacity, currently centred on a group of smaller holdings closer to Perth that already run about 1000 Fullblood breeders plus backgrounding.
Mt Adams was operated by the former lessee as both a broadacre grain and livestock property – at one point running 30,000 sheep – but Hancock intends to sow more pastures to expand the cattle footprint, having elected to abandon cropping this year due to the fuel crisis (see today’s separate story). The property will in future be dedicated to breeding, being populated with Fullblood heifers from other company holdings.
Up to now, Hancock has concentrated most of its Wagyu breeding and feeding resources in Queensland and New South Wales, building a large aggregation of properties on the NSW New England, including Sundown, Buena Vista, Ottley and Glenham Park.
‘East-West’ strategy
Hancock is gradually building an ‘East-West’ Wagyu production model, ultimately designed to avoid having to transfer its WA cattle to eastern states for lotfeeding and processing, by establishing alliances with WA feedlots and service kill abattoirs.
Production will feed into Hancock’s expanding 2GR Fullblood Wagyu beef program, sold into premium markets across North and Southeast Asia, North America, Europe and elsewhere.
Ultimately Hancock has set an ambitious target to build its Fullblood Wagyu breeding capacity to the point where the company can turn off 12,000 Wagyu feeder steers annually.
Recent acquisitions suggest that target is now within sight, in terms of breeder numbers, however, the long lead-times in Wagyu production mean it may be several years before longfed steer turnoff reaches that figure.
The inclusion of Mt Adams will add to current production capacity. However Beef Central understands there is no prospect of a feedlot being established on the holding.
In the eastern states, challenging seasonal conditions on Hancock’s collection of New England Wagyu holdings may slow progress on that turnoff objective, with the company currently making a number of provisions – either agistment, relocation to other company holdings, or maintenance feeding at feedlots – to manage the severe seasonal challenge.
