N.Z. deer farmers not in velvet now

Press, 30 August 1980, Page 22

N.Z. deer farmers not in velvet now

X’ZPA Wellington The fortunes of deer farmers are plummeting, according to the Director Genera] of Forests (Mr G. M. O’Neill). Antler velvet, considered a tonic, in Asian societies, has fallen from a top price of about $286 a kilogram to about $l7O. The antlers are not the only part of the deer to depreciate. TTie live animal price has also fallen. In December last year a yearling hind fetched about $2400 at , auction, but by Mardf this year a farmer could expect only $l4OO for a similar animal. One unlucky farmer sold 120 animals in March at an average price of $825. In addition, the Inland Revenue Department has introduced a standard value' for taxation purposes of $/00 for live adult hinds. Mr ■ O’Neill’s report, tabled in Parliament, estimated that as many as 100,000 deer may be Ixeld in captivity on New Zealand farms, ■ With velvet prices dropping they might look to the export venison market. Deer meat, he says, had risen to about $5 a kilogram on overseas markets, but he doubted whether the industry was strong enough to ■ begin any significant exports of. venison within the next two to three years.

Fluctuations in the market for deer products have been reflected in hunting. Helicopter hunting, which became a licensed activity in 1977. has changed over the last two years to a live capture industry. “Few operators now hunt for venison.” the report says. "This • means that fewer deer are being removed from the forest, and that the number of deer held in captivity on deer farms is showing a marked increase. Forest Service rangers have, in some forests, identified a build up in deer numbers, and have encouraged a return to carcass recovery as a means of control.” More than 100 helicop-

ters are licensed for deer recovery in New Zealand. Because of increased demand for live deer recovery permits, it is intended that all Crown-owned land will be zoned into three helicopter recovery. ' categories. The first category will be land open to huntjng with few restrictions and the third will be closed to all helicopter hunting. “AU operators must now face the fact that Crown-owned lands cannot be relied on as recovery areas, as although permits will be issued on request for the open areas, the restricted zones will normally be' available only to a limited number of aircraft.” the report says.