FAMILY-scale Wagyu beef supply chain King River has claimed a major award during the 2026 Premier of Queensland’s Export awards held in Brisbane this week.

Based out of Central Queensland, King River claimed the Regional Exporter of the Year crown, one of 13 divisions contested by more than 100 entries in this year’s awards. King River was a finalist in the same division last year.

It now goes on to represent Queensland in the corresponding National Exporter awards on 18 November.

The Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards recognise the local businesses taking home-grown innovations like medical devices, firefighting equipment, digital technology and regional produce to the world.

Other divisional finalists from the beef industry in this year’s Queensland Premier’s Export Awards included Kilcoy Global Foods (Regional Exporter); and Stockyard Beef (Regional Exporter, Agribusiness & Food Exporter).

Minister for Finance and Trade Ros Bates said the winners showed how Queensland ideas could build businesses and careers here at home, whilst competing globally.

“Whether it’s a medical device made in Brisbane, a firefighting tank from the Sunshine Coast or beef from Central Queensland, these businesses are giving customers around the world a reason to choose Queensland,” Minister Bates said.

“Years of work sit behind these awards. Our winners have developed their products, backed their people and earned their customers’ trust. They deserve being recognised at the highest level.”

Rapid rise in five years

One of the nation’s youngest vertically-integrated Wagyu beef supply chains, King River Wagyu was launched as an export entity less than five years ago.

The business was established by the Rich and Kemp families, both with deep connections and history in the northern cattle industry. It is built around a network of five grazing properties across north, northwest and Central Queensland covering some 242,000ha, plus the Kemp family’s Lotus Park feedlot near Sarina, south of Mackay.

The breeding and backgrounding holdings include Carmelong station near Marlborough, Eight Mile Station in the Burdekin, Strath Park near Julia Creek, Marathon near Richmond,  Mt Ravenswood Station in the Upper Burdekin and Lotus Park.

Lotus Park feedlot near Sarina

The 10,000 head capacity Lotus Park feedlot has been operated by the Kemp family for 40 years. It started feeding small numbers of Wagyu in 2017, but numbers have grown substantially since then. The Lotus Park feedlot’s inventory has gradually transitioned into more longfed Wagyu cattle under the King River program.

The Rich family started dabbling in Wagyu breeding around 2015.

The establishment of the King River Wagyu export venture brought together both families’ skill-sets and resources. While both the Kemp family’s Lotus Park business and the Rich family’s cattle business had produced beef from conventional breeds for decades, neither had ventured into the export space prior to the establishment of the King River Wagyu venture.

In addition to cattle bred and grown by the Kemp and Rich families themselves, a number of other substantial Central/North Queensland Wagyu breeders also supply feeder cattle into the King River program, building a strong provenance story.

Finished Wagyu cattle are processed at the John Dee export plant near Warwick, and Northern Cooperative Meat Co at Casino.

Product is now packed under three brands:

• Red Label by King River – F1-Purebred, marbling scores 2-7, carcase weights +330kg
• King River – F1-Purebred marbling scores 2-9, carcase weights +440kg
• Jewel – F1-Purebred marbling scores 9+. Carcase weights +440kg.

Exports to 45 countries

The company did its first export consignment under its own license in January 2022, having worked through another export license-holder for 12 months prior to that.

In what has been a dramatic rise since then, King River now exports Wagyu beef into 45 countries around the world through a series of partners and distributor networks, with the UK and European Union, China and South Korea being the biggest destinations by volume. The United States, Canada and Mexico are other key growth targets.

In-country distribution networks delivering to restaurants, food services and stores play a key role.

From the outset of the brand program, King River had aimed to build long-term partner and customer relationships, now represented on three continents.

The business aims to customise orders for each international customers’ precise needs, maximising versatility of every beef carcase, adding profitability and sustainability.

New brand identity

The King River program has recently undergone a re-brand, under the insignia ‘Legendary Wagyu.’

King River’s website says the new identity is designed to underpin the brands’ story around consistency of quality and marbling performance across the brand range, and supply chain transparency.

Participation in trade shows is clearly a strategy in building awareness in export markets for the brands.

“Trade shows are not only an ideal platform from which to judge our business model against competitors, but also to accelerate our entry into new markets.” King River says.

“By utilising these, we’re able to display our real, tangible business and product to key industry figures, establishing King River as a serious international player.”

“Events such as Seoul Food Hotel 2025 gave us the opportunity to place our product in front of over 45,000 visitors, maximising our output to effort ratio, and accelerating our exposure within the market. It’s also a chance to educate customers new and old on our brand and product, leading to new partnerships and sales growth.”

Translating Taste

While building relationships in Toronto, America and Venezuela, King River personnel were surprised to find the largest difference in operations to come from America.

“Here, rather than meeting with importers, we had to adjust our approach, working backwards and starting with the chefs,” the company said.

“Here, our Wagyu was showcased to chefs and culinary experts to spark their passion for the product and enthusiasm to purchase. This turned out to be mutually beneficial, providing us with valuable insights into the different specifications and cuts that are expected and desired, as well as an opportunity to share our own recommendations.”

“We can’t understate the importance of understanding how different markets operate and relate to Wagyu, or the different specifications and information new clients might require before committing to purchase.

“In navigating this, we lean on our own multicultural team who help us to better understand and connect with different regions, establishing cultural competency.”

“This year, our direct market engagement confirmed what we’ve always known: that relationship-driven business models provide sustainable, competitive advantage in premium beef exports. Receiving the global confirmation that our strategy is working affirms that at King River we’re establishing ourselves as a mainstay in the industry.”