Sep 25, 2025
The NZDFA Executive Committee (seated) and regional branch chairs
The 28th floor of the Majestic Centre in downtown Wellington was a fitting location for the high-level talks at the NZDFA Branch Chairs meeting. This year, 17 chairs and three ‘new faces’ gathered for insight and a lot of lively discussion on a raft of deer farming-related topics.
“We had an excellent turnout, and what was especially pleasing was the way that everyone contributed to the discussions,” NZDFA Executive Committee Chair Mark McCoard said.
“Also apparent and great to see were the connections DFA chairs were making both in and out of the meeting room, which will be invaluable if and when they want advice or a sounding board for ideas or issues.”
The high level of engagement was attributable to the NZDFA executive team’s carefully considered programme, which included the opportunity to ‘chew the fat’ on the hot button issues, led by the upcoming velvet season and beyond, and TB. Other topics included the newly released Transport QA standards; current and planned deer industry research projects; a reminder of the important role of the NVSB; the National Velvet competition; and assorted NZDFA administrative matters and regional issues — all of which ensured attendees left brimming, perhaps even overflowing, with industry insight.
The many ‘moving parts’ that are influencing the 2025/26 velvet season and beyond were tackled by DINZ Trade and Strategy Manager Damon Paling. Leading with details about changes to VelTrak’s Terms of Use, he emphasised that the reasons for the updates were to create a stronger, fairer system, ensuring that only compliant exporters can operate. Non-compliance could lead to a 30-day suspension, which Paling said could be changed in the future, noting that coming up with the stand-down period was about “striking a balance between common law natural justice and having a meaningful intervention.”
Moving on to the longer-term project of developing a “light-touch intervention” licensing system for exporters, Paling said progress was being made but that the legislative changes and stakeholder support required took time. Implementation in July next year was an optimistic goal.
He overviewed the licensing model, explaining it would include elements of grading, quality standards, and compliance, but stressed it was not about setting prices or managing supply and demand.
“What we're trying to do is make sure that those who are presenting New Zealand velvet to the world meet certain standards in terms of transparency, quality and how our velvet is presented to overseas customers.”
Branch chair concerns about bovine TB were two-fold. The first issue was the lack of vector control in the central North Island, due to ongoing access issues to some public and privately owned land, which had caused the disease to leak out onto neighbouring farms several times over several years. The second concern was the lack of suitably qualified people to TB test deer in a safe and timely manner.
OSPRI’s General Manager for Disease Control, Planning and Integration Simon Andrew acknowledged concerns about TB testing capability, explaining it was partly due to the bumpy transition from testing by third-party provider Asure Quality to in-house OSPRI-managed testing last year. OSPRI has enlisted 37 people to date — mostly former Asure Quality employees — and more would be employed to ramp up testing over the coming year.
Andrew didn’t know how many testing staff were experienced and competent at handling deer, adding that there may be opportunity to work alongside the deer industry in developing capability. In the meantime, concerns about the abilities of TB testers should be directed to OSPRI.
“We're focused on delivering testing in a safe and effective way,” he said.
“But it's also making sure that we're testing the right animals at the right time, because it's likely that our future direction will really focus on prioritising vector control, and unnecessary testing really detracts from our ability to do that.”
OSPRI’s Senior Disease Management Veterinarian Kevin Crews further explained that they were taking a targeted testing approach, focusing on high-risk areas, herds, and regions with a history of TB.
On the issue of land access, or lack thereof, for vector control with 1080 in the central North Island, Crews said there were “challenges” and that OSPRI was focused on “taking a partnership approach with landowners” rather than forcing access through the Biosecurity Act.
“There will come a time when we do need to have sharper conversations, because we are (running out of) time and money for the local TB programme, but we still think it's important to work with landowners.”
