Venison producer Highland Game wins £13m supply deal

Red deer will account for about 70% of the venison sold under the deal

A Dundee-based firm is to buy thousands of tonnes of wild Scottish venison under a £13m five-year deal with Scottish government agency Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS).

Under the deal, 97% of deer culled by FLS will be processed into venison products by Highland Game Ltd for sale in the UK and overseas.

It amounts to almost 1,000 tonnes - or 39,000 carcasses - of venison a year.

Highland Game is the UK's largest producer of venison.

The company, which already sourced most of its meat from FLS, won the contract following a competitive tendering process.

• Scotland's deer population 'should be cut'

• Deer numbers 'being badly managed'

By weight, red deer will account for about 70% of the venison, followed by roe (about 15%), sika (about 10%) and fallow (about 5%).

Overall, Scotland produces about 3,500 tonnes of wild venison and 70 tonnes of farmed venison each year.

How are deer culled?

In Scotland, the annual cull of deer is carried out by shooting or by "live capture".

According to a recent report by the Deer Working Group, more than 100,000 deer are shot each year, but only a small number are captured live.

Some campaigners have called for deer numbers to be controlled by contraceptive darts rather than shooting.

However, a report for the Deer Initiative, a partnership dedicated to managing deer numbers in England and Wales, found that the use of such darts would have a limited immediate impact on population levels.

FLS manages the deer population through sustainable culls to prevent overpopulation.

Speaking at a visit to Highland Game, Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon said deer management was "essential to help reduce Scotland's deer population to non-damaging levels to protect the environment".

Ministers say the deal will make "a significant contribution" to Scotland's venison industry

She said: "As part of our ambition to create a circular economy, we should ensure that this lean, healthy source of protein reaches the food chain.

"This contract will make a significant contribution to Scotland's £7.25m per year venison industry."

Ms Gougeon added that the deal with Highland Game would bring added value to the rural economy and sustain hundreds of rural jobs.

Highland Game managing director Christian Nissen said his company's working relationship with FLS was "moving from strength to strength".

He added: "This is a hugely successful pairing that is a real boost to the reputation of Scotland's high quality food and drink sector and I look forward to further work with FLS and other land managers to build on these very strong foundations."