DINZ and the Export Licensing Working Group (ELWG) continue to advance the export licensing work programme in direct response to what farmers and processors have asked us to explore: a more disciplined, transparent, and market-aligned system that strengthens New Zealand’s position in Asia and supports long-term value creation for velvet. 

Earlier this month, DINZ Trade and Strategy Manager Damon Paling was in Beijing to attend the Xifeng Deer Industry Promotion Conference — a major national gathering held at the Xi Guo Mao Hotel and the CCTV Agricultural Film Centre.

The 2025/26 velvet season is now well underway, and many farmers are feeling the weight of a second complicated year, coming off the back of last year’s market access resolution and lower prices. Prices have eased again, and with rising on-farm costs, margins are tight for a lot of growers

Vietnam presents a promising long-term opportunity for New Zealand deer products, but meaningful commercial outcomes are contingent on one thing: restored market access.

Our hearts go out to those affected farmers in Otago and Southland after the recent storm. While the burning need to get out there and fix or clean up everything is understandable, your safety and wellbeing – including mental health – matters more than anything else.

Speaking at last week’s DINZ markets update webinar, DINZ Board director Tony Cochrane said that “where we sit right now, we don’t have a price, similar to most velvet operators in New Zealand,” while also noting that there are stocks currently built up in our overseas markets, particularly China, and that volatility is starting to show.

The DINZ executive and the Export Licensing Working Group (ELWG) continue to make steady progress on evaluating export licensing — a key step toward ensuring a fair, trusted, and competitive velvet sector for all participants.

As American families prepare for Thanksgiving and look toward the festive season, our venison is quietly building its presence on more menus, more shelves, and more shopping carts across the United States.

DINZ CEO Rhys Griffiths and Market Activation Manager Virginia Connell recently returned from the European market, where they visited five countries, meeting with several in-market partners, and attended the Anuga trade show – the largest food and beverage show of its kind. They have returned heartened and excited to give the market a more strategic look.

Catch up on all the latest from the deer industry's major overseas markets for both venison and velvet as DINZ CEO Rhys Griffiths, Board Directors Tony Cochrane and Rob Kidd, Trade and Strategy Manager Damon Paling, and Market Activation Manager Virginia Connell give updates from their respective areas.

South Korea remains one of New Zealand’s most valuable and dynamic markets for deer velvet — but it is also a market in transition. A closer look at quarantine statistics, product launches, and trade reporting through to the third quarter of 2025 shows trends in how Korean manufacturers are sourcing, processing, and positioning deer velvet in the health and well-being category.

After years of persistent advocacy, the deer industry is proud to celebrate a significant policy shift announced by the Government: agricultural emissions will not be priced, and methane targets have been revised to reflect the science of no additional warming.