Nov 13, 2025
Tucked away between native bush on the road from Rotorua to Tirau stands the Duncan Venison Processing Plant, established in 2001. Last month ten eager members of the Waikato DFA branch took the opportunity to tour the operation whilst it was in full swing.
After a welcoming cup of tea and a biscuit, the Duncan team kicked off with a presentation outlining kill sheet components, NAIT requirements, animal welfare expectations and other interesting things for farmers to consider when sending in deer. The group then dressed in PPE, and Group Operations Manager Troy Allison and Assistant Plant Manager Jamie Lane guided them into the busy plant explaining all processes that occur in both the slaughter floor and boning rooms.
Getting ready for a trip to Europe or North America
After viewing the process from start to finish boning room team leader Darin Pirika (who has worked at the plant for almost 20 years) demonstrated a full carcass breakdown, identified individual and groups of muscles and how showed how they are prepped to meet specifications for customer orders.
“The visit to the Duncan plant was enlightening even for an old hand around processing plants, the team did a great job, and we appreciated them taking the time out of there day to inform the group on the topics involved at the plant. At the end of the day, we are all part of the team to ensure we have a sustainable and profitable industry” - Grant Dixon.
