Velvet Guidelines Update

10-09-2007 | webmaster

A recent meeting of the Velvet Grading Guidelines Review Committee has provided impetus for some new initiatives in the velvet industry.

Deer Industry New Zealand convened the meeting on 31 August – the first meeting of the committee for 2.5 years. A group of 18, including road buyers, pool operator PGG Wrightson, graders, processors and producers were present.

Velvet marketing manager Vanessa Crowley reports the committee agreed on four small changes to the grading guidelines.

The changes are:

• Regrowth grade RG2 will be reduced to a maximum length of 35 cm in order to maintain quality in this grade;
• A new grade will be added for short, fat, indented spiker velvet;
• The minimum weight of the high grade SAP will be increased from 2 kg to 2.3 kg to meet market demand and lower volume;
• Orthodox SA1 and SA2 velvet will be combined in a new grade to be called “SAT”, and all other velvet in this grade, including sticks with accessory tines, snags, bifurcations and palmations, will be classified as “SA”.

DINZ will send further information about these changes to farmers in the next few weeks.

The committee also discussed a remit passed at the Deer Industry Conference in May, which requested a review of the grading system, and initiatives to help farmers better understand processing of velvet, such as open days at processing facilities.

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