Velvet entries down, but quality high
The quality of velvet remained top-notch at the South Canterbury/North Otago Velvet and Hard Antler Competition this year, although entry numbers were down, the organiser says.
Brad Travers said they had 58 velvet entries and 18 hard antlers entries in this year’s competition, held at Washdyke.
‘‘The numbers were back this year. We had 90 entries in total in 2020,’’ Travers said.
‘‘It comes down to the growing season we’ve had. The winter conditions were prolonged which delayed the velvet production.
‘‘Although the numbers were down, the quality was by far the best we’ve seen so far.’’
The competition was cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19.
The heaviest velvet in this year’s competition weighed 14.74 kilograms, and the highest scoring hard antler was 732 4/8 inches.
Sixteen experienced deer farmers from South Canterbury and North Otago judged the entries in 15 different classes this year.
Three of the 15 classes of velvet were judged by the public at the awards ceremony last night at Phar Lap Raceway.
Travers said the age range of entrants was ‘‘mixed’’, but they want to encourage the next generation of deer farmers to take part in future competitions.
He said Covid-19 had impacted the velvet industry, with a ‘‘lot of’’ product sitting offshore in storage.
‘‘With China going back into lockdown because of another Covid-19 outbreak there, a lot of product is sitting in storage waiting to be processed.
‘‘Although it’s a stagnant market right now there’s positive talk around it getting back to normal, and the demand’s definitely there.’’
Travers said Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) is tapping into new markets around the world with China and Korea remaining the dominant markets.
‘‘They [DINZ] are keeping positive with approaching new markets,’’ he said.
He added that the velvet exported from South Canterbury and North Otago is used for things like sports medicine and health products.