Operating since 1856, Marubeni Corporation saw an opportunity to develop an Australian beef that would compete on the world stage, especially since at this time beef exports from Australia to Japan were liberalising. However, Marubeni knew that the Japanese market wouldn’t be satisfied with importing just any old quality beef, they knew that this was an opportunity to create something very, very special.
Paying close attention to the environmental conditions that delivered the best beef in Japan, Marunbeni discovered that Rangers Valley had a latitude very close to that of the best feedlots in Japan. Rangers Valley Cattle Station rests at 29.45S while the island of Kyushu in southern Japan lies at 31.5N. It was a sign of promising times ahead.
And so, the early incarnation of Black Onyx beef was born. 300 day grain fed Angus and Murray Grey beef was packed under the name OBX300, and delivered exclusively to Japan. The beef soared in popularity and throughout the 90’s, grew in volume and quality.
The Korean beef market fully liberalized by 2001 and so it was time for a new name and an additional destination for this exceptional beef. The end of OBX300 saw the rise of the Homestead Range in Korea, and with trade bans on US beef by 2003, growth in Taiwan as well.