CSB - Emil Murphy - Interim CEO Deer Industry NZ

Venison is set to hit North American retailers, with New Zealand’s deer industry securing funding for its North American retail accelerator project.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
On god Sports. Some very exciting news for venison growers
around New Zealand, where venison is set to hit the
North American retailers. New Zealand Deer Industry has secured funding
for its North American Retail Accelerated Project. In fact, the
project was launched in July. Joining us is the acting
CEO of Deer New Zealand, em Or Murphy Morning.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Emor Morning Brand.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
This is a really exciting news for the venison industry
in New Zealand, isn't it? Oh?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
It is. It's definitely really quite exciting. We've always had
a large pootportant or product going into the US, but
this is moving that trade from institutional and food service
into retail and giving us a much better connection with

(00:48):
the end consumer.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
How much of a challenge has it been getting this
over the line.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
It's a long process to get I think it's probably
taken about a year from writing after proposal and getting
it through all the hoops and everybody along the line
to get it signed off to kick off now in July, Well,
I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
What did you have to do to make it happen?

Speaker 2 (01:16):
So it's a collaboration between the five export companies DIDN'T
and MPI. So there's a little bit of a process
to go through with government funding. So MPI is putting
in about twenty one percent of the funding of the
total four point nine million. So what we had to

(01:36):
do is secure the rest of the funding from the
export companies and our funding, provide clear objectives, clear outcomes,
and really just getting it through the process.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
And what's the forecast of delivery for the return? I mean,
what's the return going to be? Like you if you
had a sort of full cast of return or any
indication so far, Well, what we're.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Hoping to return on there about four point nine million
investment from Didn't, from the export companies and MPI. In total,
we're hoping to get about a twenty million dollar return
during the project's lifetime. But I think on top of that,
we're also anticipating a wider effect going into the future,

(02:21):
because what we'll want to do is to present venison
as a meat directly to the consumers and hopefully get
an uptaken the other factors as well.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
So you mentioned that you know, it has been in
the North American market, but just solely rot in restaurants
and so on.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, restaurants, food, service institutional kind of cooking, and that
was a real problem for us when COVID hit and
all the restaurants shut down and our export into the
US dropped overnight essentially. So there's been a few attempts
or attempts. There's there's been a little bit of trade

(03:02):
in into retail that's kind of started during the COVID days.
So this has just been taking those learnings putting it
into a kind of focused program to to really secure
our base so we're not getting exposed to that some
kind of risk for for a single shock event.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
I know that you know, I love eating venus and
that goes down pretty well in New Zealand. How does
the North American market sort of take the venison? Do
they like it?

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah, there's a there's a there's a tradition of eating
eating venison. They're mainly white tail deer and hunting, so
so similar to Germany, but not as closely tied to
to the to the season and as the Germans are.
But there's there's a lot of a lot of interest.

(03:49):
There's a lot of people who eat it. Uh, And
I guess like New Zealand with with urbanization, more people
who don't have a chance to go out hunt their
own venison, can can get it in the supermarket is
really our aim. And then obviously the farmed kind of
grass fed New Zealand venison is much different and more

(04:13):
consistent eating quality, and all.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
Five New Zealand venison processing companies are involved. So when
American consumers walk into their favorite supermarket, they'll see those
like Silver Fern Farms packages on the shelves.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Yeah, yeah, that's absolutely. They are in more retail outlets
across more states and provincess all across North America.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Well, it's fantastic news that, you know, we're expanding the
venison market, so let's hope it continues. Thank you so
much for joining us, EMIL.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Thank you, Ryan,