The Venison Advisory Service Ltd (VAS) is a consultancy established specifically to provide support and advice to those considering setting up a commercial deer farm as a business venture or an additional revenue stream.
The UK venison market is growing and UK producers cannot currently produce enough venison to meet demand. Scotland is a major supplier to the UK and European markets, with an estimated out-turn of some 3500 tonnes per annum, the majority of this coming from the wild red deer cull.
Market data (May 2018) from the Scottish Venison Partnership is available here.
Scotland’s deer farms now produce around 75 tonnes of venison per annum, and the wild red deer cull is static (and forecast to decline) creating an even greater vacuum to be filled with imported product.
This is why Scotland’s deer farming sector needs to expand. The drive towards healthier eating, greater awareness of venison as a healthy food, and increasing interest from Scottish Government and its agencies for development in this area all present an encouraging backdrop. Scottish venison also already enjoys an enviable reputation and an excellent image not just in the UK but further afield.
Scotland has a mix of suitable terrain, ideal climate, access to wild stock and access to markets that make deer farming prospects well suited. Indeed, Scotland pioneered the concept of deer farming in the 1970s, although it has never developed here on the same commercial scale as it has in, for example, New Zealand.
The initiative to encourage more farmers and landowners to consider the commercial opportunities arising from farming deer is gathering momentum. The Scottish Venison Partnership, the pan-sector group that promotes Scottish venison and represents its producers, has estimated that Scotland needs an additional 1000 tonnes of venison by 2020, and more as the market continues to develop.
The Venison Advisory Service has been established to provide quality, experienced project-led advice and consultancy to those looking at deer farming as a commercial, revenue-generating opportunity, not just in Scotland but across the UK and internationally.
Find out more about the services the Venison Advisory Service has to offer to those wishing to get started in deer farming.
The VAS starter guide to deer farming and deer park management, produced as a part of the Scottish Government funded Deer Farm and Park Demonstration Project is available to download here .
Recent news:
The Veterinary Deer Society is holding a conference on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November 2019 at the Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ just to the south of Edinburgh.
The meeting will concentrate on the growing demand for veterinary expertise in the rapidly developing area of UK red deer farming and also, as Christmas approaches, on reindeer welfare. The conference is open to any interested who wish to attend.
Good news, as the Scottish Government has confirmed on Scottish Venison Day, 4 September, that it will fund baseline research to help Scotland’s venison producers and processors better understand the UK market, its challenges and opportunities.
One year on from the launch of ‘Beyond the Glen’, a strategy for Scottish Venison through to 2030 the Scottish Venison Partnership has reformed and relaunched as the Scottish Venison Association headed by an Industry Leadership Group; wild deer health has been thoroughly examined in a project funded by Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland delivered by the Moredun Research Institute and Edinburgh University, with a final report to come in the next few months; deer health and handling skills training courses delivered by the Venison Advisory Service have been fully subscribed; and the British Deer Farms and Parks Association (BDFPA) Conference comes to Scotland in early November as interest in deer farming continues.
A new training course on the health, hygiene and handling of farmed deer organised by the Venison Advisory Service and the British Deer Farms and Parks Association will run at Cassafuir Farm, Stirlingshire FK 8 3LF on Saturday 24 August 2019.
Topics to be covered over the day include: an overview of deer diseases and care; practical handling of hinds with calves at foot; tagging/sexing; drenching calves; weaning and setting up rutting groups.
A full day course on farmed deer health and handling is taking place on Saturday 2 March at Cassafuir Fam, Blair Hoyle, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire FK8 3LF courtesy of Jamie and Natalie Hammond.
The Venison Advisory Service warmly welcomes the new strategy for Scottish venison, Beyond the Glen, which was launched by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon MSP, at Downfield Farm, Fife on Scottish Venison Day 4 September.
Dick Playfair, Director, VAS, says:
Following the success of the Introduction to Deer Farming day at Innerhadden Deer Farm in July, the Venison Advisory Service (VAS) and leading Rural Chartered Surveyors Bell Ingram, have teamed up again to stage a second event on Scottish Venison Day, 4 September, this time at Culligran Estate, near Beauly.
The demonstration day will provide the opportunity to hear at first hand from professionals and experts in deer farming, on subjects including herd management and stocking, deer health, fencing and equipment requirements, finance and land management.
The Venison Advisory Service (VAS) and Chartered Surveyors Bell Ingram, have teamed up to stage two Introduction to Deer Farming days in Scotland, one in Perthshire on Thursday 26 July, and a second in the north in September.
The demonstration days will provide the opportunity to hear from professionals and experts in deer farming, on subjects including herd management and stocking, fencing and equipment requirements, finance and land management.
A BDFPA open day is being held at Cassafuir Farm, Blairhoyle, Port of Menteith FK8 3LF on Saturday 29 April 2017 from 09.30 – 15.30hrs by kind permission of Jamie and Natalie Hammond. The full day event gives a comprehensive picture particularly to aspirational deer farmers about entry to the sector and getting started and includes what is sure to be an inspirational talk by Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor on a chef’s view of venison.
“Deer farmers have this week been informed the future is still bright with increased demand for venison outstripping an estimated 5 per cent annual increase in production.”
A joint Lowland Deer Network Scotland – Scottish Land & Estates ‘Walk and Talk’ event will be held at Caddonfoot Hall, Clovenfords TD1 3LG, Yair Hill Forest and Torwoodlee and Buckholm Estates on Wednesday 8 June 2016