Venison farmers are pinching themselves at their good fortune, with prices steadily increasing in the past two years to an all-time June high of $9 a kilogram (carcase weight) for quality stags. Deer Industry New Zealand chief executive Dan Coup says a big drop in the number of deer being processed has undoubtedly played a big part in the strengthening of prices, but he adds that there are other important factors at work. “Whether it’s the emergence of paleo diets, new culinary trends, or the new enthusiasm in Europe for summer barbecues, our farm-raised venison looks like the right product for the times,” he says. “The United States is now the single largest market for venison, having recently overtaken Germany. This means the industry now has strong export markets in two of the world’s major currency zones.” John Sadler of Mountain River Venison says, “the EUROPEAN SUCCESS FOR holy grail of the venison industry ever since I first became involved was to sell leg cuts into the United States. I think we are finally getting there.” DINZ venison marketing manager Marianne Wilson says more chefs and consumers are making ethical purchasing decisions. “They like the fact that New Zealand venison is pasture-raised, grown naturally and without hormones, in a clean spacious environment.” A recent visitor to New Zealand was Jan Kunz of Luiten Foods, an active partner in a Cervena venison marketing trial in the Netherlands and Belgium. Kunz says he sold 20,000 kg last summer, a novel time of the year to sell venison in Europe. Like the other partners in the Cervena marketing trial, Kunz is enthusiastically involved again this northern summer. This trial is part of Passion2Profit (P2P), a Primary Growth Partnership Programme between the deer KIWI VENISON 56 JULY 2017
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