A rapid economic recovery in the United States may result in the revival in demand for venison that deer farmers have been waiting for. Pre-Covid inventory is moving through the pipeline and venison sales are already trending upward.

The Deer Industry Conference in Invercargill is to be followed by a National Technical Workshop on Thursday 20 May. It has been designed to give farmers ideas they can potentially take home and apply on their farms.

• Farmer VelTrak regos rolling in
• Field test developed for deadly deer disease
• Velvetting now included in the Animal Welfare Regulations
• We’re on notice to get wintering right
• Stags back in their own paddocks by now
• Attend the NI Deer Expo in person or by Zoom
• Don’t forget those Yersiniavax boosters

The South Korean market for branded health food products based on deer antler velvet and other traditional ingredients is continuing to grow, says Deer Industry New Zealand. Last year, it identified the launch of scores of new health food products based on velvet, most of it sourced from New Zealand.

Farm registration with VelTrak begins on 3 May, when the primary contacts on deer farms will be emailed an invitation to register. Farmers are encouraged to register promptly, so they become familiar with VelTrak and have any questions answered well before the start of the new season.

• Join us at the 2021 Deer Industry Conference
• Give weaners priority
• Green drought biting in some regions
• Getting our heads around greenhouse gases
• If you can’t get to Invercargill
• Kaumatua of Deer Genetics dies
• Competition for seats on the DINZ Board
• New science and policy appointment at DINZ
• Planting time for trees
• Another Big Deer Tour

- Hawke’s Bay deer farm supreme award winner
- Industry Conference: Invercargill to host May 2021 Conference followed by National Technical Workshop
- Introducing Felix Shen: marketing manager for Primary Collaboration NZ to help pave way for velvet in China
- Seasonality in deer: research investigates deer phenotypes for seasonal physiology and grazing behaviour

Venison marketers and Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) are focussing most of their market development efforts on the United States in 2021. Pre-Covid, the United States was our largest year-round market for chilled venison. Now marketers are aiming to repeat this success at retail.

Good progress is being made with the roll-out of VelTrak™, the new electronic track and trace system that is being introduced in readiness for the 2021/22 velvet season. Registration for vets and buyers opens on 6 April and for farmers on 3 May.

• Central Hawke's Bay deer farmers Evan and Linda Potter win the National Ballance Farm Environment Award (BFEA)
• DINZ submitting on Climate Change Report on behalf of deer sector
• Velvet boots on the ground in China
• Winter grazing is still hot
• Stroppy stags, naïve visitors
• Registrations Open for Deer Industry Conference
• Technical workshop to follow industry conference
• Environment awards to showcase the deer industry
• Vets keen to learn about VelTrak™

Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) is expecting improved market conditions for venison in the coming year, with better prices assured for venison animals processed for supply in the European game season. 

“In the next few weeks some venison companies will be offering minimum price supply contracts for the game season, for shipment of chilled venison during September and October,” Deer Industry NZ chair Ian Walker says.

Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) has approved a grant of $225,000 to a $450,000 venison market development project in China. Five applications were received from four companies for the one-off contestable grant for a project that would support the development of a new market. 

DINZ chief executive Innes Moffat says the deer farming industry welcomes many aspects of the Climate Change Commission’s interim report. But it will be a challenge for deer farmers with extensive farming systems to achieve its emission reduction targets without some novel intervention.

Three companies marketing deer velvet in Asia – CK Import Export, PGG Wrightson and Provelco – have formed a coalition to develop a market in China for NZ velvet as a health food ingredient. In all other respects they will continue to compete vigorously with each other for sales and farmer supply.

• ​Total venison exports up in 2020
• Velvet season behaved as expected
• Hawke’s Bay environmental awards field day next week
• New channel development continues
• Buyers now ordering VelTrak scanners
• VelTrak gets a colourful endorsement
• Industry conference in Invercargill in May 2021
• Help us showcase the deer industry
• Amy Watts, new DINZ board observer
• Science and policy manager wanted

February / March 2021 Issue 106
- Setting the scene for 2021 season
 Velvet Coalition - partners join forces to seek opportunities in China health food market
- Industry Conference - return to the deep south for May 2021 Conference: 2020s Vision - The Focus is You
- Sire Sales - Subdued prices reflect impacts of COVID on markets but still some bright spots

Breeding values proving worth in commercial settings
Challenging Conditions - marketers adapting and rethinking strategies in response to global headwinds
Blocking Ticks - experts discuss beat measures for tick control as warming extends pest's range
Immune Function - well-timed research to explore potential of velvet to boost vaccine response

The 2020 velvet antler selling season is well underway, with marketers making large sales to their major customers in South Korea and China. While there has been an overall reduction in prices, demand is proving to be resilient, given the impact of Covid on many customers.

- Venison hot on-line in the US
- Making it tougher for the cowboys
- No more on-farm TB testing of many deer herds
- Leading deer farmer dies suddenly
- South Westland TB movement control area extended
- Hakataramea Station family wins food challenge
- Industry conference in Invercargill in May 2021
- Original Maori place names for SI farms
- Hilson retires from practice management 
- Two Deer Facts in Deer Industry News
- Goodbye 2021, welcome 2021

Strong sales of venison in China are one bright light in otherwise stormy seas, says Deer Industry NZ venison marketing manager Nick Taylor. “September was a good month, with exports to China of 225 tonnes, by far the highest monthly total since Covid-19 emerged.