Venison is hitting a ‘sweet spot’ of better prices, wider markets and reduced seasonality in prices, claims the industry.

Sales of New Zealand chilled venison are growing, boosting returns to New Zealand deer farmers, even though overall venison production is down.

Venison exporters and Deer Industry NZ (DINZ) are promoting new cuts to chefs to increase returns from the whole deer carcass and to help keep venison on restaurant menus.

A major new campaign to encourage Europeans to eat venison in the summer has been launched in Belgium.

The deer industry hopes its good prices will stem the decline of the national deer herd and even cause a slight increase, Deer Industry NZ chief executive Dan Coup says.

Deer farmers are enjoying the best venison prices in four years with the schedule up 11% at the spring peak on the year before.

Deer Industry New Zealand says the northern summer trial promotion of Cervena venison in the Netherlands went down well with chefs and their customers.

Consolidation in the deer industry in the last five years means mainly the more committed farmers are left, which is good for the industry, says Kris Orange.

New Zealand venison exporters have started a trial to test the appetite of European consumers for Cervena venison in the summer grilling season.

Deer Industry New Zealand and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will be collaborating in a new Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme called Passion2Profit.