World Agriculture Directory: the home of the world's largest agriculture database. Fastest way to find events, farms and agribusiness that suit your needs. Agriculture Event Directory

Cattlemen Hall of FameBeef cattle barons, cowboys, breeders and builders from around the world

Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Miyata Yasuhito: A Third-Generation Cattleman Building Beef in Asago

A Hyogo cattleman who started his own farm at 30 and kept it alive through disease and falling calf prices.

Who is Miyata Yasuhito?

Miyata Yasuhito runs Miyata Farm in Wadayama, a town in Asago city in the north of Hyogo Prefecture, the prefecture that gives Kobe beef its name. He comes from a cattle-raising family and describes himself as a third-generation farmer, though the Kobe beef farmer profile notes that he did not simply inherit a finished operation from his father and grandfather. He built his own.

He was 43 when the profile was published in 2018, which puts his birth around 1975. His record is modest in size but useful to study, because it shows how a working Hyogo cattleman handles breeding, disease, prices and a small labor force.

How did Miyata start his own cattle farm?

Miyata studied at an agricultural university, then worked at several farms before taking an unusual extra step: he apprenticed at a butcher's shop to learn about meat itself. That training gave him a direct view of the end product.

At 30 he set up his own stock farm along the Toga River, about 500 meters from his parents' farm. The land came from a farmer who was leaving the profession. He began with 60 cattle.

What went wrong in the early years?

Growth brought trouble. As the herd got bigger, some cows fell ill with pneumonia whose cause was never explained. Around the same time calf prices fell to a half or a third of their later level, and Miyata has said he seriously considered closing the farm.

He did not close it. He sought advice and put more effort into protecting the animals' health. Today a veterinarian prepares an annual vaccination program for the herd, which is his main defense against the kind of illness that nearly ended the business.

How big is Miyata Farm and how does it run?

According to the 2018 profile, the farm holds about 80 mother cows, 35 calves and 100 fattening cattle. Roughly 30 percent of the fattening cattle were born on the farm, which means the rest are bought in as calves, so the business sits between breeding and feeding.

Miyata runs the place mostly on his own, with part-time workers and help from his father. He keeps up with trade journals and online information, and he plans to shift toward breeding so that more of his fattening cattle are home-bred. Raising more of his own calves would also reduce his exposure to the calf market, which hurt him earlier.

The Key to Miyata's Success

Miyata's record is one of persistence and practical adjustment rather than rapid expansion. The documented decisions are small and concrete, and they add up.

The profile gives a plain picture of a farmer who survived a bad stretch and stayed in the business by changing how he managed risk.

  • He learned the meat side of the trade by apprenticing at a butcher's shop, not just the farm side.
  • He started small, with 60 cattle, on land taken over from a retiring farmer.
  • He faced pneumonia losses and weak calf prices and chose to seek advice instead of selling out.
  • He adopted a veterinarian-prepared annual vaccination program to cut illness.
  • He plans to raise more calves himself to reduce dependence on bought-in stock.

The 2018 Distinction Award and the hand-raised heifer

A carcass from Miyata Farm won the Distinction Award at the 2018 Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show. The same profile describes the animal behind a notable result: a heifer born a month early and abandoned by its mother. Miyata and his family raised her by hand and decided to keep her instead of selling her at auction. For about 18 months she did poorly, then began to thrive and grew into a well-shaped cow.

The show is a carcass competition, and the profile of a 2009 winner shows that other Hyogo farmers have won the same award, so it is a recognized yardstick among local producers rather than a one-off prize.

What is next for Miyata Farm?

Miyata says his long-term goal is to bring rare cattle breeds born in Hyogo Prefecture to his farm to produce better beef cattle. He also draws encouragement from fellow university alumni who farm cattle, dairy, orchards and crops. For readers who want more on beef ranching around the world, farm.FM's ranching section covers cattle country on several continents, and a farm.FM story about Japanese beef cattle is a good next stop.

Miyata Farm is small by North American standards, but its history shows a clear path: take over land a retiring farmer leaves behind, protect the animals' health, and aim for steady improvement.

Timeline

  1. c.1975Born into a cattle-raising family in Hyogo Prefecture
  2. c.2005At about 30, founds his own stock farm along the Toga River in Asago with 60 cattle
  3. Early yearsUnexplained pneumonia and a fall in calf prices push him to consider closing
  4. LaterAdopts a vet-prepared annual vaccination program and recovers
  5. 2018Carcass from Miyata Farm wins the Distinction Award at the Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show
  6. 2018Profiled with about 80 mother cows, 35 calves and 100 fattening cattle

Frequently asked questions

Who is Miyata Yasuhito?

Miyata Yasuhito is a third-generation cattle farmer in Asago, Hyogo Prefecture, who founded Miyata Farm at age 30. He raises calves and fattening cattle for the Kobe beef trade and won a Distinction Award in 2018.

How many cattle does Miyata Farm have?

A 2018 profile reported about 80 mother cows, 35 calves and 100 fattening cattle. Around 30 percent of the fattening cattle were born on the farm, and he plans to raise more calves himself.

What award did Miyata Yasuhito win?

A carcass from his farm won the Distinction Award at the 2018 Kyorei Kai Kobe Meat Cattle Show, a carcass competition for Hyogo beef cattle producers.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

More from the hall