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Summary of the report
Niche Markets for Venison
by Chris Tuckwell Rural Industry Developments Pty Ltd and
Lynelle Tume, FoodScape Pty Ltd
August 2000
RIRDC Publication No 00/118
RIRDC Project No DIP-3A (Part A)
Market demand
Since its beginnings in the 1970’s, the Australian venison industry has relied almost exclusively on international demand for its products, and has generally targeted European markets competitively supplied by the world’s biggest producer of farmed venison, New Zealand. Some venison has been, and continues to be, sold to markets other than traditional European markets, but the relative volume is small.
Stimulation of market demand, particularly for export, has been frustrated by a number of issues. Lack of continuity of programs or campaigns to assist market development has been a major factor. This is true of both the deer industry generally as well as individual exporters or processors, and is probably due to a shortage of funds specifically for marketing related exercises.
When all the basic requirements to supply a customer have been met (ability to supply the requested volume, compliance with import protocols, and a suitable price), long term sustainability has often been compromised by failure to meet customer specifications in presentation, quality, accurate cutting lines and attention to packaging detail. The charts produced as part of this project should assist in better knowledge at producer level. Constant vigilance in the boning room should ensure that other quality factors are addressed.
Domestic markets
Until recently, consideration and development of domestic markets for venison has been uncoordinated and limited by a generally inconsistent product quality, lack of regular supply, poor presentation of products and lack of product knowledge by those marketing and selling.
Results of this project clearly demonstrate the lack of confidence potential Australian venison consumers (particularly those in the restaurant and other food service industries) have in the Australian Deer industry’s ability to provide venison. However, food service industries still use venison regularly in their businesses but it is venison produced by the New Zealand deer industry.
The Australian Deer industry’s ability to influence domestic food service industries is dependent on its ability to produce a consistent (quality assured) product, guarantee regular supply to consumers, present products appropriately and to back up sales with good product knowledge.
Already one or two venison processors have made small advances in the domestic market with quality assured product but their ability to meet consumer requirements is influenced by the quality of stock offered for processing. Industry statistics demonstrate supply variability and quality inconsistency of animals offered for processing. to maximise returns and develop consumer confidence, farmers must manage animals to ensure consistently high quality stock are offered for sale.
Venison processors are continually encouraged to pay premiums for stock from quality assured properties or to reduce prices for stock from properties not quality assured.
Condition Scoring Charts
To encourage the production of consistently high quality animals that improve returns to farmers and increase consumer confidence, this project has developed Condition Scoring Charts for red and fallow deer. The chart will help farmers better assess their stock and provide processors with an ability to objectively assess carcases and to pay accurately for the quality they receive. As part of the Deer industry quality assurance program these chart will, in the long-term, help develop consumer confidence in the market.
Promotion
The anticipated inclusion of venison into the Australian Regional Australian Food Guide will help promote the deer industry and venison to city based consumers and tourists who spend time in major regional Australian centres.
Disjointed efforts to promote venison will have limited success unless a properly researched marketing plan is prepared for the industry generally. A three to five year plan which is fine tuned every year to re-focus on areas of change, opportunities or threats is considered essential for most successful food industries. Preparation of an annual implementation program for the optimal marketing mix of promotion, public relations and advertising in various media streams, is the only way to ensure a permanent place for venison in the food service and consumer market over the long term.
Venison trim
During the period of this project, assistance provided to venison processors has helped the development of markets for venison trim and co products. The demand for high quality (95CL) Australian venison trim now exceeds supply.
Food Service Guide Books
Although project researchers consider that a venison food service guidebook for users of venison has merit as a marketing tool, the production of the proposed guidebooks was not supported by processors and so was not undertaken during the project. It was obvious from the contact with chefs and purchasing managers for hotels and large restaurants that there is a need for some informational resource on venison generically. Additionally, there is a strong desire for better information on the differences in cut sizes and weights between the deer breeds. This is only a feature in areas where chefs may be exposed to cuts from both fallow and red deer, and to a lesser extent, rusa deer. However, some confusion was observed in capital cities where New Zealand venison is marketed, since this product frequently has larger cut sizes than the same muscle cuts from Australian venison.
Specifications for New Zealand slaughter stock are usually for animals in the higher weight range for young (less than two years old), male red deer. Many stock being slaughtered in Australia are considerably smaller, yielding smaller cuts. This is not necessarily a problem for chefs, provided they are presented with relatively consistent product, but many processors do not obtain satisfactory yields from small animals.
Guidebooks produced for the food service industry by the beef and sheep meat industries have had to address the variations in expected sizes of cuts, particularly since the widespread availability of feedlot cattle, which are generally much larger than the grass fed animal. Changes in production techniques and cutting lines for some lamb meats led to confusion over weight of cuts available. Since hogget and mutton are rarely used by the hospitality trade, explanation of size ranges has been confined to the export specification books.
The deer industry would be advised to continue to monitor the needs
and expectations of their food service customers, not only as an information
service, but to keep Australian venison “top of mind”.
 
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