Noticeboard & Events | Issue 213

Sep 12, 2025

Noticeboard

Events

If you have an event that would be of interest to the deer farming industry, please email info@deernz.org with details.

US Deer Farmer Visit to NZ Deer Farms

If anyone would be interested in hosting a couple of US deer farmers in 2026, please email Nadia.

My husband and I are deer farmers here in the US and are planning to go to NZ in 2026. We would like to make some farm visits there both fallow and red deer. Could we possibly get a listing of deer farms there to start planning our road trip. Thank you!

Nadia Foti
fotina929@gmail.com

Deer placement for vet student

Hello

I am a first- year veterinarian student at Massey University and I am looking for a deer farm to take my two-week placement at. It is a requirement for me to graduate to get this hands-on work. I will end my first year on November 10th and that is when I will be able to start placements. I hope to discuss this further with someone and I appreciate your time in reading this and hopefully responding.

Sincerely,

Loretta Rodman
loretts777@gmail.com

TB Plan Review

DINZ recently hosted a webinar covering the TB Plan Review currently underway. To view the webinar click here: TB Plan Review Webinar - Deer NZ

The milestone of zero TB infections by 2026 cannot be achieved while the disease remains in possums. The TB Plan Review proposes an increased focus on tackling the remaining infected possum hot spots to achieve TB freedom in both livestock and possums by 2040.

Farmers pay for the TB free programme through levies and will have the chance to comment on the review proposals. You can visit the website www.tbplanreview.co.nz to find out more and have your say.

Farmer meeting dates are as follows:

North Island

Whangarei: Thursday 11 September 11am - 12:30pm, Tangiteoria Community Complex, 23 Pukehuia Road, Tangiteroria
Rotorua: Monday 15 September 11am - 12.30pm, Linton Park Community Centre, 16 Kamahi Place, Pukehangi, Rotorua
Morrinsville: Tuesday 16 September 11am - 12.30pm, Tatuanui Memorial Hall, SH 27 Tatuanui, Morrinsville
Carterton: Friday 19 September 11am - 12.30pm, Carterton Events Centre, 50 Holloway Street, Carterton
Gisborne: Monday 22 September 11am - 12:30pm, Emerald Hotel Gisborne, 13 Gladstone Road, Gisborne
Napier: Tuesday 23 September 11am - 12.30pm, The Crown Hotel, 22A Waghorne Street, Ahuriri, Napier
Taihape: Wednesday 24 September 11am - 12.30pm, Kokako Street Hall, 12 Kokako Street, Taihape
Stratford: Friday 26 September 11am - 12:30pm, Stratford TET Stadium, 62 Portia Street, Stratford

South Island

Kaikoura: Tuesday 30 September 11am - 12.30pm, Donegal House, 258 Schoolhouse Road, Kaikoura Flat, Kaikoura
Ashburton: Monday 29 September 11am - 12.30pm, St Andrews Presbyterian Church, 130 Havelock Street, Ashburton
Westport: Wednesday 1 October 11am - 12.30pm, Westport Bridge Club, 12A Lyndhurst Street, Westport
Hokitika: Thursday 2 October 11am - 12.30pm, Hokitika Golf Club, 206 Golf Links Rd, Ruatapu
Omarama: Monday 6 October 11am - 12.30pm, Omarama Hall, 35 Chain Hills Highway, Omarama
Wedderburn: Tuesday 7 October 11am - 12.30pm, Wedderburn Woolshed, 7145 Wedderburn-Becks Road, Wedderburn
Otautau: Wednesday 8 October 11am - 12.30pm, Otautau Connect, 134 Main Street, Otautau

And while we’re on “social” media…

If you missed it on social and in eNews, check out this podcast from Luka Jansen, DINZ Environmental Stewardship Mananger: Balancing freshwater, farming and 'fair' rules

When it comes to environmental regulations, farmers and contractors know better than most that the devil is in the detail. Rules written in Wellington can look tidy on paper, but they often fail to reflect the complexities of real farming systems.

Luka notes “Many government agencies whether in Wellington or at regional level, don’t have the farming experience or knowledge so they really do rely on seeking knowledge from industry bodies. It’s about councils looking at those unique farming systems and recognising what will actually help the region to succeed. We need food, we need exports and we need jobs - it’s pretty simple.”.

And while we’re re-hashing information from eNews…

A new version of the Animal Status Declaration (ASD) form came into effect from 3 June 2025. We are now reaching the end of the transitional period, with the new forms to be mandatory from 1 October 2025. Not using the new forms could mean animals are not processed in a timely manner at the works, or that the resulting product is ineligible for key markets. 

We have heard from some stakeholders that the use of the old and soon-to-be-invalid ASDs is ongoing. With only a couple of weeks to go until the transitional period is over, farmers should be replacing their old forms with the new forms immediately. 

A new ASD is required due to new animal treatment rules for producing and exporting animals and/or animal products to the European Union (EU). The rules pertain to the use of antimicrobials for the purpose of promoting growth or increasing milk yield, which would make the animals and their products to be ineligible for export to the EU.  

Another option is to fill out an electronic ASD in MyOSPRI. See below to find out more on how to do so if you are unfamiliar. 

Joke of the month

There’s this farmer who is completely obsessed with tractors. His entire existence revolves around them. He lives, breathes, and dreams tractors, but his wife is tragically killed in a tractor accident. The farmer has had enough of tractors and completely removes them from his life, moving off the farm and attempting to move on without his wife and love of tractors.

He’s going on a blind date with a woman he met online years later. The date is going well until the restaurant bursts into flames! Everyone is panicking as they try to put out the fire when the farmer stands up and takes a deep breath in, sucking in all the smoke and fire. He dashes outside, extinguishes all of the smoke, and saves the restaurant. Everyone is in awe of what the farmer has just accomplished as they thank him and return to their meals. His date curls up in stunned silence, saying, “That was amazing, how did you do that?!”

The farmer looks her in the eyes tearing up, and says, “I’m an ex-tractor fan.”