Scheme To Farm Deer In S.I.

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31383, 31 May 1967, Page 1

Scheme To Farm Deer In S.I.

The New Zealand Game Exporters’ Association would soon put a proposal to the Government for the farming of deer in the South Island, said the association’s president (Mr J. R. Maddren) yesterday. Five of the six members of the association were in the South Island.

Asked the location of the proposed farm, he said: “I am sorry. I am not at liberty to disclose that at the moment.”

He said that Otago was one obvious area because of the number of packing houses already there and the abundance of natural forage. Running 5000 deer on a South Island deer farm would be quite feasible, but this would not mean herds of 5000. In close proximity, they would be broken down into sections, depending on the land available. The deer could be run on strips, such as leaseholds, over several farms. Mr Maddren said that considerable capital would be involved, because fencing alone would be a big item. “We would certainly have to fence more adequately than for ordinary farm stock,” said Mr Maddren. The income from deer byproducts and venison in New Zealand this year would approach £2 million. The farming of deer in the South

Island, he said, was a logical development of this. Wider markets could be developed. Deer farming in the South Island would enable the certification of venison. This would immediately open the hitherto denied, lucrative Australian market to New Zealand venison. “Farmed deer meat would be a very much better product than wild deer meat,” said Mr Maddren. “We could sell in the local market, if there is a demand." Mr Maddren said he believed there were thousands of acres of suitable land in the South Island where deer could be raised more economically than other types of stock. Though fencing would be a big item,, natural barriers could be, used to assist to keep fencing costs to a minimum. He thought sizeable areas would be used for South Island deer farming, but much would depend on whether the land would be used to graze other stock. Deer could be used to break in land. Deer would eat feed that sheep could not cope with. Deer could also break in land for cattle. Mr Maddren said he thought that with today’s prices deer could give a much better return than sheep.

New Zealand earnings from deer had been dramatic in the last two years, and he felt that this development would continue.