July 22, 2026 • 9 mins
David Stevens looks at promising times ahead regarding the price of venison.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
David Stevens gets us underway this afternoon on the muster
dear farmer based at Netherdale Is Farm near Belfa in
northern Southland. David, good, afternoon. We're not far until the
end of July. How's everything being good?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Any?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Afternoon? Good, it's can't complain about a winter like this.
It's a bit damp on top, but no, this morning
it was only a very light for us. No, can't
complain at all.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Would you say the seasons have moved a little bit
based on what we've seen over the past ten fifteen years, Ah, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yes, No, I mean you look back. I don't think
we get quite the you know, when the spring was spring.
This is an old fellow's perspective. I suppose spring was
springing way back, and you know he's sort of defined
between winter and spring. That was, it didn't seem to
through like we do these days. We end up with
(01:03):
pretty sometimes pretty lousy weather in spring. But I think
it's it's changed, there's no doubt about that. I mean,
certainly we don't get the frosts and we don't get
the snow, and yeah, what we used to get. I mean,
you look around in northern south and back in those
early days when I was a young fellow, and you know,
we had skating rinks, outdoor skating rinks over at wai
(01:25):
Kai and up at Garston and and you wouldn't get
that these days.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
We used to have a few rushes on the farm
and the ice in between was at sake. You can
go on there and you scale it up cracker jacks
and you're a young fire and have a good skate round.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, so answer your question, yes it's changed.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yes, So how's everything being over the last month or
so anyway on the farm.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh god, I we had a wee break over and
Aussie for a bit and then come back and obviously
there was a wee bit of a con temperature between
there and here. But no, it's been good on farm.
Last week we pretested the maiden heins, the ones that
we put to elk. Yeah, pretty happy with the result,
really considering the maidens and putting them them or young
(02:13):
elk bulls to them, and we end up with eighty percent,
which wasn't too bad. I know. There was other examples
of just talking to the chap that does the scanning,
and there's other examples where they've already had a bit
of a disaster with maidens, so it couldn't complain about
(02:34):
that at all. No, we've been doing a bit of
R and M, quite a bit of fencing, tying up
some of the fences, renewing them the ones that have
been in for probably forty years, and also a block
next door we've been sed that up as well. So
it's not a cheap exercise these days with the cost
(02:55):
of fencing for deer farming. But as we commented it before,
but you do it once to do it well, and
that's another job in just around tidying up around the place,
getting ready going into the spring again. The mines or
they'll stay on they're on stubble at the moment and
(03:16):
getting baded, so they'll stay there, and we normally take
them right through to early October before we start set
stocking them, so that's where they'll be and the maidens,
the sorry, the rising yeelings, and then your velvet is
really another couple of weeks away, and really they need
(03:37):
their feed needs lifted. So if you haven't got the grass,
really you've got to look at supplements really for them
they start growing, particularly the yeelings, they need to be
pushed along. So and yeah, so that's pretty much what's
going on for the moment, Andy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Now, David, about six months ago, even longer, you talked
about just winding it back and just relaxing a bit.
But the pendulum swag all of a sudden, you've got
a new sense on life and you're getting busy again.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yes, yeah, you got to do something. When you've got
a few acres, you've got to do something with it,
so cut and carry. There's not a lot of money
in that, so no, no, it's good. And to be honest,
I mean, when you're dere farming just a commercial operation now,
labor is not a big thing. I mean, it's amount
of just keeping them feed and looking after them that way.
(04:27):
So there's not a lot of animal health or anything
like that to do with it. So it's really a
matter of just feeding them well and keep moving them on.
But we might even purchase a few more irons actually,
just to fill that gap were the dryes where we
might pick a few more up. And you're looking at
(04:47):
around about from Maiden Hinds in Calf you're looking around
about round at that eight hundred dollars at the moment
so we may do that yet too.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
How do those prices ranked, say to about five years ago?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Five years ago probably up there some like the agent
the other day were he was looking at the ones
at home and he said, they're probably in carf now
when we paid seven fifty for them and before mating,
and they're probably their quality now would be sitting around
(05:25):
about eleven hundred for those, so they're good. They're good irons.
We actually purchased them from Morgans's, so you know they've
got growth rate, genetics. But no, probably a bit less
might have been. You might have been looking at six
or seven hundred dollars back then, so you know it's
(05:46):
up a bit, mind you, and saying that the schedule
is contracts are out there, you know, twelve dollars a
k plus, so you know that's as high as it's
ever been and it needs to be around them that
to compete against the other sectors. So it could even
get higher. But that's sort of early season, and we've
(06:07):
seen the last year or two where it hasn't dropped
away in the autumn at all, So you're really looking
at possibly may not be that twelve dollars, but certainly
could be around eleven dollars lights through the autumn.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Now, it's interesting to say that Jamie McKay often refers
to having a ten dollar base for your meat, for
your wool, and for your milk price as such, and
you've talked in the past about that ten dollar figure
as well. So is this just a realization of where
the industry's at this price?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think so. I just demand really but insane that do.
I mean, costs have gone up to I mean really,
when you look at deer farming, once you're set up,
your labor costs and also little health those sorts of things,
and not huge costs on farm. So really we're probably
(06:55):
lucky that way. But no, it needs to be up there.
I mean it's just to compete, and other costs have
gone up. I mean it's not just on farm costs.
I mean you've got insurances and rates and you know,
all of those things. They just keep skyrocketing. So you know,
there's a lot of other expenses that doesn't matter what
you're in, you've got and you know to keep up
(07:17):
with that, you really need to get up around that
twelve dollars to actually cover those costs. So it's long
out last and yeah, as long as we don't end
up with some unusual tariff tariff coming into the states,
will be find is.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
That some of the concerns are the teriffs of the states.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I suppose it's in the back of everybody's mind. I
think at the moment, probably one of the concerns is
probably shipping just that cost at the moment with what's
going on worldwide, So yeah, it's probably a concern in
the back. And also fuel costs that's part of that.
So all of those costs, we're not quite sure when
(07:58):
things may or hopefully come, So you know those I
think they're built into the schedule at the moment just
with that concern. So we didn't have these issues that
are going on, it could even be higher.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
The velvet situation. What are you anticipating for next season
given what we've known over the past twelve months.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I think well volume wized. I think we could even
be a couple of one hundred ton back on what
we were last season, and that's going to help. And
the word out there at the moment is certainly demand.
So I'd be very surprised if we don't have a
far better price than what we had last year, so
I think that's you know, there's a positive year in
(08:37):
the markets of the year, so I think that's certainly
what we should anticipate for this season. It's interesting at
the moment the grading Committee of meeting to sort things out.
Last year was a real shambles with grades coming out
for the velvet, the different grades coming out far too late,
and we're in a situation where people were actually removing
(09:00):
velvet and before they knew what the grades were and
when to cut. So this season, I would imagine that
grading committee, which has quite this time around an influence
from the producers, should have any changes, and I wouldn't
think there'd be a lot of change changes to the
(09:20):
grading out in good time, I would suggest probably in
the next well hopefully in the next month.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I better leave it there. David always always good to
chat on the muster and you enjoy the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Thanks Andy, it's pleasure. Thank you.
David Stevens gets us underway this afternoon on the muster
dear farmer based at Netherdale Is Farm near Belfa in
northern Southland. David, good, afternoon. We're not far until the
end of July. How's everything being good?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Any?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Good?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Afternoon? Good, it's can't complain about a winter like this.
It's a bit damp on top, but no, this morning
it was only a very light for us. No, can't
complain at all.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Would you say the seasons have moved a little bit
based on what we've seen over the past ten fifteen years, Ah, yes.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yes, No, I mean you look back. I don't think
we get quite the you know, when the spring was spring.
This is an old fellow's perspective. I suppose spring was
springing way back, and you know he's sort of defined
between winter and spring. That was, it didn't seem to
through like we do these days. We end up with
(01:03):
pretty sometimes pretty lousy weather in spring. But I think
it's it's changed, there's no doubt about that. I mean,
certainly we don't get the frosts and we don't get
the snow, and yeah, what we used to get. I mean,
you look around in northern south and back in those
early days when I was a young fellow, and you know,
we had skating rinks, outdoor skating rinks over at wai
(01:25):
Kai and up at Garston and and you wouldn't get
that these days.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
We used to have a few rushes on the farm
and the ice in between was at sake. You can
go on there and you scale it up cracker jacks
and you're a young fire and have a good skate round.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, so answer your question, yes it's changed.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Yes, So how's everything being over the last month or
so anyway on the farm.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh god, I we had a wee break over and
Aussie for a bit and then come back and obviously
there was a wee bit of a con temperature between
there and here. But no, it's been good on farm.
Last week we pretested the maiden heins, the ones that
we put to elk. Yeah, pretty happy with the result,
really considering the maidens and putting them them or young
(02:13):
elk bulls to them, and we end up with eighty percent,
which wasn't too bad. I know. There was other examples
of just talking to the chap that does the scanning,
and there's other examples where they've already had a bit
of a disaster with maidens, so it couldn't complain about
(02:34):
that at all. No, we've been doing a bit of
R and M, quite a bit of fencing, tying up
some of the fences, renewing them the ones that have
been in for probably forty years, and also a block
next door we've been sed that up as well. So
it's not a cheap exercise these days with the cost
(02:55):
of fencing for deer farming. But as we commented it before,
but you do it once to do it well, and
that's another job in just around tidying up around the place,
getting ready going into the spring again. The mines or
they'll stay on they're on stubble at the moment and
(03:16):
getting baded, so they'll stay there, and we normally take
them right through to early October before we start set
stocking them, so that's where they'll be and the maidens,
the sorry, the rising yeelings, and then your velvet is
really another couple of weeks away, and really they need
(03:37):
their feed needs lifted. So if you haven't got the grass,
really you've got to look at supplements really for them
they start growing, particularly the yeelings, they need to be
pushed along. So and yeah, so that's pretty much what's
going on for the moment, Andy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Now, David, about six months ago, even longer, you talked
about just winding it back and just relaxing a bit.
But the pendulum swag all of a sudden, you've got
a new sense on life and you're getting busy again.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Yes, yeah, you got to do something. When you've got
a few acres, you've got to do something with it,
so cut and carry. There's not a lot of money
in that, so no, no, it's good. And to be honest,
I mean, when you're dere farming just a commercial operation now,
labor is not a big thing. I mean, it's amount
of just keeping them feed and looking after them that way.
(04:27):
So there's not a lot of animal health or anything
like that to do with it. So it's really a
matter of just feeding them well and keep moving them on.
But we might even purchase a few more irons actually,
just to fill that gap were the dryes where we
might pick a few more up. And you're looking at
(04:47):
around about from Maiden Hinds in Calf you're looking around
about round at that eight hundred dollars at the moment
so we may do that yet too.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
How do those prices ranked, say to about five years ago?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Five years ago probably up there some like the agent
the other day were he was looking at the ones
at home and he said, they're probably in carf now
when we paid seven fifty for them and before mating,
and they're probably their quality now would be sitting around
(05:25):
about eleven hundred for those, so they're good. They're good irons.
We actually purchased them from Morgans's, so you know they've
got growth rate, genetics. But no, probably a bit less
might have been. You might have been looking at six
or seven hundred dollars back then, so you know it's
(05:46):
up a bit, mind you, and saying that the schedule
is contracts are out there, you know, twelve dollars a
k plus, so you know that's as high as it's
ever been and it needs to be around them that
to compete against the other sectors. So it could even
get higher. But that's sort of early season, and we've
(06:07):
seen the last year or two where it hasn't dropped
away in the autumn at all, So you're really looking
at possibly may not be that twelve dollars, but certainly
could be around eleven dollars lights through the autumn.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Now, it's interesting to say that Jamie McKay often refers
to having a ten dollar base for your meat, for
your wool, and for your milk price as such, and
you've talked in the past about that ten dollar figure
as well. So is this just a realization of where
the industry's at this price?
Speaker 2 (06:35):
I think so. I just demand really but insane that do.
I mean, costs have gone up to I mean really,
when you look at deer farming, once you're set up,
your labor costs and also little health those sorts of things,
and not huge costs on farm. So really we're probably
(06:55):
lucky that way. But no, it needs to be up there.
I mean it's just to compete, and other costs have
gone up. I mean it's not just on farm costs.
I mean you've got insurances and rates and you know,
all of those things. They just keep skyrocketing. So you know,
there's a lot of other expenses that doesn't matter what
you're in, you've got and you know to keep up
(07:17):
with that, you really need to get up around that
twelve dollars to actually cover those costs. So it's long
out last and yeah, as long as we don't end
up with some unusual tariff tariff coming into the states,
will be find is.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
That some of the concerns are the teriffs of the states.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I suppose it's in the back of everybody's mind. I
think at the moment, probably one of the concerns is
probably shipping just that cost at the moment with what's
going on worldwide, So yeah, it's probably a concern in
the back. And also fuel costs that's part of that.
So all of those costs, we're not quite sure when
(07:58):
things may or hopefully come, So you know those I
think they're built into the schedule at the moment just
with that concern. So we didn't have these issues that
are going on, it could even be higher.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
The velvet situation. What are you anticipating for next season
given what we've known over the past twelve months.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I think well volume wized. I think we could even
be a couple of one hundred ton back on what
we were last season, and that's going to help. And
the word out there at the moment is certainly demand.
So I'd be very surprised if we don't have a
far better price than what we had last year, so
I think that's you know, there's a positive year in
(08:37):
the markets of the year, so I think that's certainly
what we should anticipate for this season. It's interesting at
the moment the grading Committee of meeting to sort things out.
Last year was a real shambles with grades coming out
for the velvet, the different grades coming out far too late,
and we're in a situation where people were actually removing
(09:00):
velvet and before they knew what the grades were and
when to cut. So this season, I would imagine that
grading committee, which has quite this time around an influence
from the producers, should have any changes, and I wouldn't
think there'd be a lot of change changes to the
(09:20):
grading out in good time, I would suggest probably in
the next well hopefully in the next month.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I better leave it there. David always always good to
chat on the muster and you enjoy the afternoon.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Thanks Andy, it's pleasure. Thank you.
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