‘Time Scotland locked horns with venison importers’
Aspiring Scots invited to chase deer market
With the UK importing venison from New Zealand, Poland and Spain to meet demand, the secretary of the Scottish Venison Partnership, Dick Playfair, yesterday claimed there was a commercial opportunity for those considering deer farming.
“Scotland has a mountain to climb in terms of venison production if we wish to take best advantage of an opportunity staring us in the face. the UK market for venison remains exceptionally buoyant but the vacuum that UK-based producers cannot satisfy is being filled by imported product.” he added that there had been a marked upswing in interest in diversification into commercial deer farming and deer parks the length and breadth of Scotland in the last 12 months. the entrants were involved in both breeding stock and in finishing deer.
Playfair was speaking in anticipation of Scottish venison day, to be held in early September, where aspiring deer farmers will be shown existing production units in Fife. these will in- clude visits to Wester Balcormo, Leven, a traditional deer farm with its own herd, as well as to deer farming pioneers John and Nichola Fletcher’s Reediehill Farm at Auchtermuchty, where the emphasis is on breeding stock for commercial farmers.
that day will also be marked by an official announcement of plans for an on-farm abattoir at Downfield farm, Kingskettle, belonging to Bob and Jane Prentice.
the lack of suitable deer slaughtering facilities in Scotland has been one of the main drawbacks for venison producers, with most transported to Yorkshire for slaughter.
One of the speakers on the day will be John Goffin, who has just taken over a 1,000 acre farm in Midlothian, where he plans to establish a deer farming enterprise.
the partnership was established to help farmers who are considering branching out into deer, but Playfair indicated the whole sector is being held back because, unlike sheep and beef producers, deer farmers receive no farm subsidies.
With a move to area-based support coming into being in January 2015 as part of the next Common Agricultural Policy, he hoped this handicap would disappear.