Many countries and regions have re-imposed hospitality lockdowns in response to a resurgence in Covid-19 cases. Expensive cuts like lamb racks, venison striploins and beef tenderloins are sitting in freezers in Europe and the United States waiting for the restaurants to reopen.

Breeding values really show their worth in a commercial farm setting. That’s been the resounding conclusion of a year-long exercise on three commercial venison farms.

Consumer demand for NZ deer antler velvet appears to be firming in the main markets, South Korea and China, as well as new growth markets like Taiwan. This is reflected in some reasonable sales of the new season’s crop, says DINZ markets manager Rhys Griffiths.

• VelTrak welcomed by major international customer
• Try and keep those tags loose
• How can I estimate my greenhouse gas emissions?
• Breeding for parasite resistance sparks interest
• CARLA webinar on Tuesday
• Interested in becoming a DINZ Board observer?
• Velvet made with care
• Low-slope rules fail high country eco-farmers
• Thinking of next winter yet?
• Deer farmer wins 2021 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship

- Joint promotions gain momentum
- Rural Professionals: Diverse group of professionals get down to deer farming business
- Supplementary Questions: think about the end use for your supplement when planning feed needs
- Southland on Show: Southland Environment AP shows off farm projects and winter housing systems

• Consumer-friendly velvet product launched in Taiwan
• The perils of market predictions
• Trees for deer
• Last season for paper-based velvet tracking
• Interested in becoming a board observer?
• Further caution on mature stags
• Transporting stock – is your paperwork right?
• Ticks moving south

DINZ has set up a contestable venison marketing fund to support marketers with innovative projects that have the potential to build new sales for venison. The $250,000 fund, which at this stage is a one-off, is a response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which has severely disrupted venison markets.

Venison marketers say the long-term future for venison is great. Its attributes – a healthy, nutritious, natural, tasty food produced in a great environment – are just what many consumers are looking for. But Covid-19 is still far from being defeated, with severe sales disruption in major markets.

NZ deer velvet products are enjoying strong underlying consumer demand in a very uncertain world. It is unknown how these opposing factors will influence prices to farmers in the 2020/2021 season, which is now underway.

Deer farming has a long history of striving for better environmental stewardship, but it has had to take a hands-on approach to getting its message across to regulators. Industry representatives have found the best way to communicate is through ‘deer 101’ farm visits for officials and training days for regional council auditors. 

Seven years after the first deer farming Advance Parties (APs) were set up, one in five deer farmers belongs to one of 28 APs operating across the country. When Primary Growth Partnership funding of the APs ends in 2023, DINZ says it will continue to fund APs and their close cousins, the Deer Industry Environment Groups.

Deer farmers appear to be growing their deer quicker. Growth rates for stags and hinds in the 2018 and 2019 seasons were 4 per cent higher than in the average for the previous four seasons. This amounts to 2 kg of extra carcass weight for a deer killed on 1 November.

• Venison – short chilled season expected
• Winter grazing guidelines issued
• Essential facts on fresh water:
• Free training
• DINZ reviewing budget

- Hawke’s Bay recovering
- Deer Industry Conference: full coverage of first-ever virtual deer conference
- Next Generation 2020: visits to Smedley Station and Temco Agriculture plus workshop sessions
- Tech Webinar Series: velvet, reproduction, DeerPRO and industry updates in online programme

The deer farming industry says it is hoping the health of waterways, rather than arbitrary rules, will drive the way councils enforce the government’s new freshwater regulations.

The National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-FW), stock exclusion regulations, and regulations in the measurement and reporting of water takes are now law.