NEW ZEALAND DEER ANTLER VELVET
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• Deer antler is deciduous, growing every year

• "Deer velvet" refers to the antler's stage of growth (ie before it calcifies into hard horn) and not to the antler's soft external coating

• Deer velvet is removed while the deer is under local anaesthetic, by trained farmers or veterinarians, accredited to a national programme approved by the Animal Welfare Advisory Council

• Approximately $50 million of deer velvet was exported from New Zealand in the year to August 1997

• The major international market for velvet is the Republic of Korea, where the practice of oriental medicine is very strong

• Traditionally, velvet is used in oriental medicine as a nourishing tonic especially before winter — to prevent illness

• Other traditional uses are for children's growth, for blood loss, for weakness and for chronic joint pain

• Traditionally, an oriental medicine doctor writes a prescription for treatment, which is filled by a pharmacist

• The prescription would be for a combination of ingredients including velvet and natural herbs, which the patient would simmer together for several hours before drinking the resulting broth

• In the western natural health market, the velvet is more likely to be in powdered form in a capsule (perhaps mixed with honey) or as an extract as part of a tonic drink or confectionery

• The demand for more convenient velvet products (such as velvet-based tonics) is increasingly evident in Korea

• In the long term, the deer industry sees greatest opportunity for velvet in the natural health market

• The New Zealand Game Industry Board commissioned AgResearch Invermay to research velvet's effectiveness for all major traditional uses in order to provide scientific verification of traditional product claims

• The research programme is funded jointly by the deer industry (through a levy paid by deer farmers) and the Public Good Science Fund administered by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology

• AgResearch Invermay scientists are acknowledged as world leaders in deer research, and particularly in deer velvet research, and have presented research findings at scientific and oriental medicine conferences worldwide

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The New Zealand Game Industry Board
P.O. Box 10-702, Wellington, New Zealand