Jun 12, 2026
SOPI Released Today | Issue 221 | June 2026
MPI’s latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) is out today, covering the full spectrum of NZ’s primary sectors, global trade dynamics and climate trends. As always, deer can get a little lost in the mix alongside bigger sectors— but for the 4 in 5 deer farmers who also run other classes of stock, SOPI provides a useful snapshot of where things are heading.
There are some encouraging signals for venison: export revenue is forecast to reach $250m to June 2026, driven by a 13% lift in prices and an 8% increase in volume, with particularly strong growth into key markets (US up 26%, EU up 58% in the nine months to March). Demand for NZ farmed venison continues to outstrip supply, helping underpin returns, and schedules have lifted around 11% over the past year with prices expected to remain firm.
The national herd has edged up slightly to around 712,000 head (+0.5%), with hinds mated up 3% year-on-year, suggesting potential herd stabilisation or rebuild.
There are also some interesting developments on the velvet side. While returns are currently softer on weaker China pricing (down around 7% year-on-year), MPI highlights emerging opportunity in South Korea’s growing health functional food market, noting that “a pharmaceutical company [Yuhan Care] there has recently launched an immune-support product [HENKIV IMMUNE] using premium New Zealand velvet extract”—signalling a shift from traditional uses toward modern health products and a potentially significant growth avenue.
For a more detailed, deer-specific deep dive, keep an eye out for DINZ’s second instalment of the 2026 State of the Industry report, due out toward the end of August.
SOPI Jun 2026: Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) June 2026
