New scheme will highlight venison

A NEW scheme aimed at boosting consumers’ confidence in the venison market - and support sustainable management of wild deer - has launched.

The UK’s deer population is believed to be at its highest level for 1,000 years, with some two million deer in our countryside and semi-urban areas.

A growing deer population with no natural predator puts more browsing pressure on woodland ground flora through their consumption of tree shoots, shrubs and woody vegetation that sequester carbon.

Increased wild deer management is essential if we are to protect existing woodland and newly planted saplings, meet England’s tree planting targets, protect agricultural crops and biodiversity and increase carbon stocks in woodlands.

The wild venison quality assurance scheme, which will be open to applicants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, will ensure a set of audited standards are met throughout the supply chain, from forests, to the processing chain, to supermarket shelves.

Successful applicants –including venison producers and processors – will support the development of a wider, more robust marketplace for British wild venison, which is a sustainable and healthy food source.

Applicants must demonstrate they comply with the new scheme, ensuring carcasses are handled correctly, premises are registered as food businesses with the local authority, and that standards expected for producing food are met in line with relevant regulations and best practice, ensuring that full traceability occurs. It is hoped the first quality-assured meat badged under this scheme will go on sale next year.

Forestry Minister, Trudy Harrison, said: “We must develop ways to manage deer more sustainably if we are to meet our tree planting targets and protect our precious woodlands and biodiversity.

“This announcement is an important step towards achieving that aim and creating a thriving market for British wild venison.”