More research will commence to help Scotland's venison producers better understand the domestic market and its challenges.
The Scottish government has confirmed £20,000 worth of funding to provide relevant market insight and help the sector grasp opportunities.
Scotland is the largest producer of venison in the UK, producing around 3,500 tonnes of wild venison and 70 tonnes of farmed venison each year.
Bill Bewsher, Chairman of the Scottish Venison Association, said it is 'essential' that producers know what is happening in the market.
He said the sector is 'complex and changing' under a backdrop of falling venison imports from New Zealand to the UK.
“We believe we remain in a situation where UK demand outstrips supply, and where market growth is constrained by a shortage of product, wild or farmed,” Mr Bewsher said.
“The research that we can now commission with the support of the Scottish government will give us precise and current data on the state of the UK retail venison market.
“We hope also to undertake work across the catering/food service sectors as well as some basic, long overdue polling of consumer attitudes to venison to be repeated annually to assess developing trends.
“This market insight will be incredibly helpful in identifying commercial opportunities and move the whole sector up a gear – which is vital given the challenges ahead.”
The venison market in the UK alone is estimated to be worth around £100 million per year.
