Deer Industry New Zealand has launched a $4.9 million retail accelerator project that will open doors to the wider North American market.
The North American Retail Accelerator (NARA) project kicked off this month.
The project is made possible partly from funding secured through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund, which will contribute a third of the total investment with the remaining two-thirds made up by DINZ and the five venison exporters.
It includes all five NZ venison processing companies, Alliance Group, Silver Fern Farms, First Light Foods, Duncan, and Mountain River Venison.
The project, which started on July 1, will lift demand for NZ venison through the retail market and is forecast to deliver an initial return of $20m.
DINZ interim chief executive Rhys Griffiths said the SFF Futures NARA will leverage great work done by companies and open doors wider for the deer industry.
“By creating a robust and stable market in North America, we are not only diversifying our export base but also ensuring sustainable growth for our farmers.
“This project exemplifies our commitment to innovation and excellence in the global marketplace,” Griffiths said.
The project will enable NZ producers to connect more closely with consumers, using retail channels to diversify away from a historic reliance on the food service sector.
“It will also enable the industry to tell its story directly to our consumers, highlighting the sustainable farming systems we use and building a general awareness of NZ grass-fed venison.
“This project has been a long time in the making, so it’s great news that it has officially kicked off,” DINZ assistant markets manager Virginia Connell said.
“I’m looking forward to growing the ‘New Zealandness’ of venison in the North American market and really building on our reputation for excellent farming practice.
“While this project is focused specifically on retail, it will ultimately create awareness across all sectors as education spreads on NZ venison.”
The project will be overseen by a project steering committee chaired by Scott Champion, with the rest of the committee made up of Mark O’Connor, representing the venison exporter companies; Paddy Boyd as DINZ farmer representative; signatory representatives from DINZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries; and the DINZ SFF Futures project team.
“As an industry, we are poised to achieve new growth and establish NZ venison as a premium choice in the North American market,” Connell said.
