Alliance Group Launches New Premium Venison Offer For Farmers

ALLIANCE GROUP LAUNCHES NEW PREMIUM HANDPICKED VENISON OFFER TO FARMERS

Alliance Group has expanded its award-winning Handpicked range with the launch of a new premium venison offer to farmers.

The Pure South Handpicked Venison programme, which will use an assessment system to measure eating quality, will see farmers paid a 20c/kg premium above the ruling schedule to all qualifying animals that meet the requirements at the time of processing.

Handpicked Venison will be exported to Alliance’s traditional markets such as Europe, but also to burgeoning markets such as North America where the demand for the product is growing.

“As New Zealand’s only 100 per cent farmer-owned red meat co-operative, Alliance Group now has a differentiated premium portfolio across venison, beef and lamb,” said David Surveyor, chief executive of Alliance Group.

“That means every farmer now has the opportunity to partner with us on our premium range and be rewarded for producing quality animals aligned to the needs of our customers across the globe.

“Our Handpicked Venison range is about connecting our farmers with discerning consumers around the world who are prepared to pay a price premium for red meat with certain attributes guaranteed by a New Zealand brand they trust.

“This investment also reinforces our commitment to New Zealand’s deer industry. In 2018, we commissioned a new venison processing plant at our Lorneville plant in Southland. We are investing heavily in sales and marketing and seeing increased sales of venison in supermarkets and online and stronger brand recognition among shoppers.”

Only hinds less than three years old and weighing between 55kg-75kg will be eligible for the Handpicked Venison programme. Deer must be raised without antibiotics, meet the required pH levels and be grass-fed. Suppliers must also be accredited with the New Zealand Farm Assurance Programme (NZFAP).