



Disaster Relief
In the immediate aftermath of severe weather events, help may be a long way and several days or weeks away. The best people to go to for help in those circumstances are your deer farming neighbours. You can also reach out to your local NZDFA branch or the DINZ office in Wellington.
Nature's Superpower™
Nature’s Superpower™ has been developed by DINZ to help the sector tell a consistent story about New Zealand’s venison and velvet products
Improved traceability
All velvet is electronically traceable from farm to market using VelTrak
Creative energy unleashed
Building retail demand in the United States is a major focus for our venison marketers
CARLA improves welfare
Deer with high levels of the CARLA antigen in their saliva grow are less susceptible to internal parasites. It’s really positive for their welfare.
Environmental win
Hawkes Bay farmers, Grant and Sally Charteris, have won a major environmental award for their sustainable farming operation

OUR GREAT PRODUCTS
Velvet, Venison and more
Our free-range deer are raised by farmers who are leaders in sustainable farm management and high standards of animal welfare.

THE DEER DIFFERENCE
Farming the dream, naturally
Excitement and passion for deer and their wonderful products are the main reasons people farm deer.
Deer Industry Initiatives

Passion2Profit (P2P)
Transforming the NZ venison industry

Deer Select
A genetic evaluation system to advance NZ deer herd genetics

NZ Venison
NZ venison products, recipes and more

Advance Parties
Deer farmers finding new ways to lift profit

NZ Deer Velvet
Learn more about NZ Velvet & Co-Products
Featured news stories








Featured news stories
DINZ news in brief | Issue 96
“Robust discussions” around new Deer Industry Strategy | China reactivating for New Zealand velvet | Deer Industry Conference 2023 moves to Ashburton | Ready to shape the sector’s future? Stand up for deer industry leadership | Recipe: Thai venison larb salad
Read more >>Deer milk improves muscle mass and physical performance, study finds
A recent New Zealand clinical trial found regularly consuming deer milk improves the nutritional status, muscle mass and physical performance of women aged 65 and over.
Read more >>Interested in becoming a NVSB-certified deer velvetter?
Deer farmers and their employees may apply to be certified to remove velvet antler from their stags under a programme run by the National Velvet Standards Body (NVSB). The programme is quite rigorous, taking about six months to complete. Now’s a good time to apply for those wanting to be certified to remove velvet next season.
Read more >>World’s deer community to come to Dunedin in 2026
For the second time in 43 years, Dunedin will host the International Deer Biology Congress in 2026, attracting up to 500 cervid researchers and professionals to the ‘unofficial wildlife capital of New Zealand’.
Read more >>New regulations to keep dams safe
New regulations for dam safety come into effect from 13 May 2024.
Read more >>Changes to farm environmental management
Cabinet is expected to release its final recommendation on the farm-level agricultural emissions pricing plan by mid-March. But it’s only one of the environmental management changes deer farmers are having to grapple with and work out how to implement in reality on-farm, according to DINZ environmental stewardship manager Sara Elmes.
Read more >>Deer farmers helping cyclone-affected deer farmers
Cyclone Gabrielle has been a record breaker for all the wrong reasons and its impact has been felt across the North Island. The tight-knit deer farming community has rallied to the cause, raising over $117,000 at an auction last night and providing practical support, to help their badly affected peers in areas impacted heavily last month.
Read more >>Aiming for $10 for venison this Spring
A spring peak of $10/kg is being indicated by some of the venison marketers, who are all working hard in the tri-market development model to create stable demand for venison. This was among the deer farming issues raised in meetings between the DINZ Board and the NZDFA’s South Canterbury & North Otago and Canterbury West Coast
Read more >>Deer Industry News Issue 116 December 2022
Facing fifty: Invermay celebrates half century in deer | Game Season Recap: full steam ahead for game season in Europe but cost of living concerns linger | Elworthy Award: Dr Lee and film crew come to Forest Road Farm to celebrate premier award win | Maximising Venison: three farms show how terminal sires fit their system and boost carcass weights
Read more >>