Oct 9, 2026
Exec Update – Evan | Issue 225 | October 2026
Velveting season is here and the warm weather is seeing antlers take off. We have started cutting with weights up slightly and a wall of work looking likely in the next fortnight or so. With velveting season comes the procurement hype with multiple buyers going around the traps promising to pay $5 more than the next. I am only aware of one company who has currently drawn a line in the sand with firm pricing and kudos to them. Buttons are off the Richter scale, with $110 to $120 per kg being offered by different companies.
That said, the increased pricing is necessary to stop the rot of decreasing stag numbers. The drop of 20,000 MA stags last year is an indicator of both uneconomic returns as well as more viable land use choices available. It also demonstrates producers’ nimbleness to quickly change supply volumes and not sit around hoping for change. As producers we need to remember we can only control what we grow and who we sell to, the rest is out of our control.
We can however ensure that we sell to reputable entities who play by the rules, have skin in the game and are around for the long haul. While I appreciate as producers all our businesses have different drivers and parameters it is prudent to consider if a quick extra few bucks in the short term are worth it in the long run. So, ensure your velvet buyer is accredited in VelTrak and check your VelTrak information. If your buyer’s name is not on the list, they are not accredited. Important changes to VelTrak this year include VSDs have to be completed within 48 hours of velvet leaving your property, whole stick and spiker/regrowth must be separated out into two VSDs and weight is now a mandatory field on all VSDs.
Be aware of your obligations under the NVSB system and ensure you are proactive in your communication with your supervisory vet. Make sure your supervisory visit is completed by the 15th of December, reconcile your drug records, keep your shed and clean zones up to standard and ensure your spare drugs and velvet record books are returned to your vet before the 31st March 2027. We need to ensure our own houses are in order before pulling apart others.
Here in Hawke’s Bay, we have just held a Velvet Grading Day with plenty of interest from the central regions area complementing a strong local turnout. Robust discussion was had with strong views clearly articulated. Presentations centred around the grading addendum changes and practically what that means to farmers when looking at sticks of velvet. Multiple sticks were graded in front of producers with clear explanations as to why our two graders thought they should be classed into appropriate categories. Additionally talk was around the price producers needed to continue farming velvet and the influence, time lag and investment in genetics to produce a certain style when markets demand change. Further discussions were had around the need for industry to fast track the adaptation of technology to ensure uniformity in grading and remove grey areas. Compliance rounded off the day, highlighting different behaviours between buyers and producer obligations.
I am currently reading “The Hollows Boys, a story of three brothers and the Fiordland deer recovery era”, this is a poignant account of the true cost and legacy of the era. As an industry we need to maintain that innovative flare and inability to accept no for an answer, thus ensuring the future remains bright. It is those same drivers that forged the industry that will enable us to strive for structural changes and more disciplined buying behaviour. Without real change we risk continuing the cyclic nature of velvet returns. Maybe this season is the time to ask your buyers more than what’s the price, at least this year there’s plenty of people to ask the question.
Cheers
Evan
