DINZ strategy

DINZ Strategy 2022 - 2027

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We are focused on creating a confident and growing deer industry that is fit for purpose, strong, and healthy. The future is ripe with opportunities, and we are reshaping ourselves to bolster and generate value for our community, land, animals, partners, and consumers.

Our vision is that our land, people, and consumers thrive. To achieve this, DINZ has identified key areas of opportunity to accelerate industry activity over the next five years:

Our Community

We strive to make the places we live in better for the future and place the industry as the most trusted agri-food users of land in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Our Land, Animals, and People

We seek to reward our people and our land with a sustainable future.

Our Value Chain Partners

We aim to motivate our value chain partners through equitable returns and developing consumer products that create more value and are shared confidently with farmers.

Our Consumers

New Zealand-farmed venison is genuinely a cut above, and our velvet is highly prized worldwide for its rare and therapeutic properties. We make every effort to provide our consumers with high-quality and exceptional food and products that contribute to consumer well-being.

Strategic focus 

Our strategic focus is on five key areas that affect the profitable farming of deer in New Zealand. 

1. Policy and government relations – Ensuring the deer industry has a strong united voice
2. Market access and development – Increase demand for New Zealand deer products
3. Industry practice and capability – We aspire to leading edge practices for deer farming
4. Research and insights – Keep the industry well-informed and evidence-led
5. NZDFA executive support and partnering – Working together to benefit deer farmers

DINZ is leading five work streams of critical importance to the deer industry. These are:

• Venison and co-products – New market channels: creating market diversification to achieve higher, more stable venison prices for farmers
• Velvet health products – Expanding the use of deer velvet in health food products in new market channels to keep demand ahead of production
• Animal welfare/velvet removal – Ensure New Zealand farming practises place the highest priority on good welfare outcomes for production animals
• Research programme review – In 2023, we reviewed the research commissioning processes to ensure the industry investment results in providing the answers and the capability the Deer Industry needs
• Community engagement – Bringing farmers together with their communities to ensure mutual understanding of how deer farmers meet social expectations for land and environmental management

DINZ will be monitoring progress in the following areas to track how the industry is working towards a better future.

• Our people on the land: Momentum to increase the number of farmed deer and the land for deer farming (15% - 30%)
• Contribution to vibrant communities: Sustainable success for our farmers and processors fostering vibrant communities through increased employment, economic activity, and successful farming enterprises that provide food for restaurants, schools, and local groups.
• The success of processors: Enhancing output value, boosting processor returns, and minimising price volatility through customer relationships, channel roles, storytelling, and product innovation.
• The success of farmers: Confidence in herd growth through effective engagement, collaboration, improved production and emission efficiency, and increased return per kilogram of deer farming output.
• Guardians - give back to the environment: Systematically enhance genetics, farm practices, soil and water quality, and biodiversity. Ensure land is dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environment.
• The deer on the land: Sustainably improve the pasture to emission efficiency of a growing deer herd (increase food and nutrition outputs) with fewer emissions.
• Care for our farm animals: Comprehensive deer care throughout their life, including veterinary care, shed handling, velvet harvest, and livestock transportation.
• Contribution to innovation and knowledge: Industry investment in innovation breakthroughs, securing partner knowledge, and promoting the adoption of new ideas and scientific outputs to support deer farming and product development.
• Health and well-being of consumers: Sharing more quality experiences and nutritional benefits with our customers.

The next five years present an opportunity for the New Zealand deer industry to reshape itself for this changing world. DINZ’s strategy outlines a clear path for the industry to push forward and thrive with passion.

DINZ’s role is to be the ‘glue’ in the deer industry. We want to hear from our members of the deer farming whānau — Contact us over email at info@deernz.org or over the phone at 04 473 4500.