Venison "Red Deer" - Global Overview

Venison "Red Deer"  - Cervus Elaphus

Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, Germany, Spain and Russia all export venison in limited quantities. The biggest global exporter is New Zealand.

In 1993 New Zealand established the Cervena program for Venison that set farmed venison to a much higher quality and conistancy than elsewhere in the world. Cervena® is a market appellation targeted at Chefs & Butchers.

In the USA  Deer are harvested mostly by hunting, but the hunting laws of most states in the U.S. prevent private hunters from selling their game. Many local health laws and federal regulations (FDA, et al) have requirements that make it difficult for deer meat to be commercially available.

Red Deer are becoming increasingly popular and are raised mainly for venison and breeding stock. Farm-raised venison is a very lean fine-grained, mild, tender meat with a delicate flavor that is distinctly different from wild game venison.