Deer farmers can expect a return this year to the normal pattern of seasonal demand, which sees venison schedule prices peaking in spring each year. This premium rewards farmers who are able to carry finishing deer through the winter to meet chilled season demand from Europe.

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• Conference, the environment and the Jaguares
• Make sure overseas visitors are not a biosecurity risk
• Gee it’s a GIA
• Consider 5 in 1 vaccination
• Deer Fact index in Deer Industry News
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• Deer milk wins more headlines

The Nelson wild-fire continues to be a major worry for deer farmers in the area. The good news is that there has been no loss of human life. Nor are any farmed deer known to have died.

Farmed deer numbers increased in 2018 for the first time in decades. The increase in hind numbers of around 5 per cent is seen by DINZ as sustainable if it is repeated in coming years.

• Record price for a stag sold at auction?
• New velvet tags being investigated.
• The dream – no recording, no paperwork.
• Keen demand for environmental help.
• Birth year is important.
• Progress with Deer Select.
• Handling focus in latest Deer Facts.
• More ECan paperwork for farmers.
• Alliance opens new Southland venison plant.
• Have a wonderful festive season.
• AgResearch joins the festive fun.

Aucklander John Ramsey has been deer farming for 30 years but he had never entered a velvet competition until last year when he entered the Xcell Rising Stars competition. Having tasted success there, he entered this year’s Velvet Nationals where he swept the field.

Velvet marketers say a good spring, with plenty of pasture growth, meant the antler harvest this year began about two weeks earlier than past years. Buying activity began strongly in late-October, with prices for the traditional Korean styles fully firm on last season’s close.

• Levy changes for new season
• Farm environmental help available
• Firm venison prices predicted
• A very sad time for the Wallis family
• MPI gives industry's own auditors the tick
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• Less stress makes for a happier farm
• Corn taps free nitrogen

The velvet market during the 2018-19 season is expected to be reasonably stable, with consumption in Asia increasing in line with production growth in New Zealand.

Apart from a brief downward dip in prices two years ago, driven by uncertainty about regulatory changes in China, NZ velvet production and prices have increased for eight years.

Pamu Deer Milk won the Most Novel Product award at the NZ Food Awards. Produced by Pamu and their partners, the McIntyre family of Southland, the milk is a triumph of animal husbandry and innovation at all levels. Read about the McIntyres' experience milking red deer here >>

• ​Proposed levy increase under discussion
• Looking for help with your Farm Environment Plan?
• Wintering systems in the spotlight
• Active promotion of Cervena® in Europe
• New technology a double-edged sword?
• Deer Facts in DIN
• Deer museum for Wanaka
• Moa brews the first deer beer

Amendments to the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act, passed under urgency in parliament last week, are designed to make the NAIT system more effective.

DINZ chief executive Dan Coup says NAIT was set-up to enable the movements of cattle and deer between properties to be tracked accurately and quickly.

The DINZ board has decided, following consultation with levy payers, to apply to sign the Government-Industry Agreement (GIA) for Biosecurity Readiness and Response. Assuming the minister for biosecurity Damien O'Connor accepts the industry’s application, the agreement will be signed later this year.

Venison marketers say they are getting good uptake from farmers for the supply contracts now on offer for the traditional chilled season, from August to November. Beyond that, they are looking for a spread of supply.