Jun 12, 2026
Executive Report | Issue 221 | June 2026
Today seems to be one of the colder days we have had up here in Hawke’s Bay for a while, even if some of you in South Island would disagree, so writing this is a pleasant distraction to fixing a digger with frozen grease covered hands. We have had a bloody good Autumn to be fair, which has enabled us to hit winter with good pasture covers and stock are in great condition, not always a guaranteed on the East Coast!
There is plenty of coverage about for the occurrence of a super El Nino next season which provides plenty of lead in time to make decisions based on what we observe and measure as we get closer. Weather events seem to be more intense these days as well as localised so here’s hoping should the prediction come to fruition it is localised and not widespread as at least that gives options for those affected.
For those of us in the North Island, hind scanning is underway which provides an opportunity to check stag performance and make early culling decisions to better utilise winter feed reserves. Having scanned Friday, we now have a group of mainly long-standing matriarchs waiting for a stamp in their passports.
For those of you who attended the annual conference this year general feedback indicated a well-balanced mix of topics pitched at the right level for farmer engagement. This was backed up by an interesting field day at Matt Carroll’s family farm (Westfield) that showed the value of integrated livestock systems in delivering consistently high returns on an annual basis.
Velvet continues to dominate many conversations, whether it be returns, grading or industry structure. For anyone involved in this side of the industry you will be well aware there is no one answer to a multitude of issues. The solutions will take input from all participants and while some are short term, others are longer. The DFA is actively involved on your behalf at all levels to ensure producers perspectives are taken into account.
Venison continues to perform well based on contracted volumes of supply and plentiful demand for high quality protein. Feral venison continues to be topical amongst producers due to the potential risk to industry reputation. I can assure you DINZ is well aware as is the DFA, and both are continually highlighting to members and processors their personal and collective responsibilities.
Finally, thank you to Mark and Karen for their 7 and 6 years of respective service to the NZDFA executive, we wish you well in your future endeavours. Welcome to Grant Hasse and Richard Greer, I am sure you both will hit the ground running with your skillsets and experience.
Cheers Evan
