Scottish Venison Association secretary Dick Playfair

Important in the New Year, as we continue to deliver the strategy Beyond the Glen, will be results of the Scottish Government-funded research from Kantar and 56 Degree Insight telling us a lot more about the UK market, who is and isn’t eating venison, how often they eat it, and where – valuable baseline data that the sector has not previously had access to in such detail.

Getting Brexit sorted will help too. Brexit uncertainty has slowed down interest on deer farm development, the Venison Advisory Service reports. However, the new Structures and Buildings Allowance should allow more farmers to consider deer, where the cost of fencing may previously have been prohibitive. SBA is a flat 2% per annum allowance for expenditure on new and renovated structures and buildings including fencing. So, a £40,000 investment over 15 years could be offset by a £12,000 tax allowance against capital and design costs. Speak to your advisor!

We look forward to a closer relationship with Scottish Craft Butchers in a joint initiative to encourage more locally procured wild venison to be processed and sold locally.

Training remains important, and quality assurance absolutely essential in underpinning future success for Scottish venison, wild and farmed. Deer farmers should see BDFPA.org for the latest courses.