Friday, March 29, 2024

Race on to meet velvet rules

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New Chinese regulation around how velvet is being imported as a traditional medicine ingredient is an opportunity for New Zealand product to be credible, branded and acknowledged by Chinese consumers, Deer Industry New Zealand board member Tony Cochrane says.
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Velveting was a privileged procedure involving a high-end product with regulated standards potentially offering added value for NZ deer farmers.

“Setting our own standards with a newly implemented, regulated control scheme for farms and velvet depots is timely as we look at leveraging opportunities to remain the best in the velvet business,” Cochrane said.

Farmers harvesting must this season comply with new regulations on food product standards required by the Chinese government.

The need for new requirements followed a visit late last year by Chinese officials who reviewed how velvet was harvested, handled and stored.

The new hygiene standards would apply to the harvest, storage and transport of velvet on all farms where velvet was collected,

What was required for farmers to upgrade their onfarm harvest sheds and facilities had been the focus of a series of Deer Farmers’ Association field days.

A field day organised by the Canterbury-West Coast branch at Aubrey Aitken’s Mid Canterbury farm attracted 40 farmers to join discussion with National Velvet Standards Body director Paddy Boyd and industry accredited assessing veterinarian Rob Dunbar.

Boyd encouraged deer farmers to accept the new hygiene standards were appropriate for a highly valuable food or pharmaceutical ingredient to help protect and build the reputation of NZ velvet and ensure it continued to have access to world markets.

To date standards had been voluntary with nothing regulated.

“Now a lot of velvet product is going into food and the regulated control scheme requires us to all abide onfarm, meaning all velvet sold out of NZ now has to be harvested under the regulated control scheme,” Boyd said.

Compliance fell back on the NVSB and farmers.

Any shed not up to standard could not export velvet.

“Velvet can still be taken off but if it’s not tagged compliant by an assessing vet then it cannot go for export,” Dunbar said.

While the Ministry for Primary Industries realised everything couldn’t be achieved in two months farmers must be seen to be making an effort.

“Pretty much the lead-in period is zilch but farmers who have made an attempt but not quite reached target will not necessarily be failed but will be advised of what they need to do to reach the mark.

“It will be a big task this season to tick as many boxes as we can,” Dunbar said.

Boyd said both the industry and MPI had pulled all stops to make the changes as workable and easy as possible for farmers.

“We have got away with a lot for some years harvesting in pretty shoddy sheds and systems but we have to step up and comply now.

“It’s about a change of management from what we have done – next season there will be no exemptions,” Boyd said.

Some, including smaller or more venison-focused farms, might face bigger changes than others.

Velvet antler could be removed only in a designated clean zone.

All floors, walls, gates, benches and crush had to have surfaces that could be washed or wiped.

Bare timber or dirt floors were no longer acceptable. Timber must be painted or plastic coated and floors concrete or covered with a non-porous rubber matting.

Freezers dedicated solely for velvet and operating below -15C° were now required.

Cochrane said the new standards would position NZ ahead of its competitors.

“Having a clean and safe environment for velveting should also instill a stronger sense of pride in what we do.

“This is part of telling a story about our superior product to global markets that are asking for greater traceability and accountability,” Cochrane said.

Whether spending $1500 on the deer shed would translate to $1500 more for velvet sold was yet to be seen.

“But by cutting velvet on time to achieve rounder tops and more regrowth, having handling efficiencies and less damage, I would say the investment could easily be covered.”

The healthy food sector provided the best chances for NZ velvet to take the next steps in growing demand.

China already had an image of a clean, green NZ.

Interest was building and dollars were being spent in Korea by large food companies such as Korea Ginseng Corporation to market NZ velvet alongside their own brands.

“Companies are wanting to visit NZ farms and premises to tell a story and leverage off our high standards.

“This provides exposure we could never afford from levies alone,” Cochrane said.

“How we present ourselves will determine this. We have a lot of potential in front of us.

“Setting our own standards to achieve this is can only be a good thing.”

MORE: Read more on the new standards

http://deernz.org/shed-examples-new-standards 

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