It should come as no surprise to those who follow the velvet sector that stags have been culled sooner and in increased numbers on the back of the 2025/26 season’s disappointing velvet prices.

The uncertainty leading into the deer sales season was cast aside with good crowds of motivated buyers attending sales throughout the country. Although not the sky-high prices of past seasons, demand was strong and steady and reflected in the high clearance rates and price averages.

DINZ Board chair Paddy Boyd has long represented the farmer voice in the animal traceability (NAIT) space, and with growing focus on registering animals with a Date of Birth (DOB), OSPRI asked him what birth data means on a farm like Haldon Station.

At the end of 2025, three days before Christmas, the Government announced that it had secured a “landmark” Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India, which Trade Minister Todd McClay says will result in New Zealand gaining “unprecedented access to 1.4 billion Indian consumers."

The end of 2025 saw two deer industry stalwarts honoured with being appointed Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit for contributions to the deer industry: Graham Carr, of Geraldine, and Andy Macfarlane, of Ashburton.

The recently released inverted food pyramid places red meat in a place of prominence, highlighting a return to whole, real foods.

Message from the Chair | Velvet: The most emotive word in the deer industry? | In Brief: Wild deer a growing problem and more... | Meet and Greet: Terry Meikle | Velvet: A fraught space, Stand firm | Venison: New cuts broaden appeal | Special Report: Wild! | Deer Industry Research Strategy | Deer present a compelling diversification option for sheep-beef systems | Counter-trend strategy pays off for Manawatu partnership | nProve another selection tool for velvet growers | Herd host: The ongoing ecology of yersinia in deer and more...