DEER FARMING IN ITALY
In Italy most deer farms started in the early eighties; Tuscany and Umbria are still the regions where this activities is more concentrated. There are diferent objects within the production: some deer farmers produce venison, some produce deer for hunting and the rest for toursim. The prevalent farming system is semi-extensive (2-4 head/hectare). Because of the Italian climate and pastures the intensive system is not possible and for this reason deer farming is often supplemented with other agricultural activities.
A survey carried out by University of Parma in 1991 stated that the total number of fallow deer was 10000 on 289 deer farms, while red deer were 1600 on 61 farms and roe deer 900 on 56 farms.
These numbers include animals of state parks and of small farms for hobby purposes and only a small percentage of these animals are available for commercial purposes, because they are neither captured nor controlled. In these kind of farms the capturing or killing are planned every 5/6 years, to reduce excessive density.
The total number of farms has to be reconsidered by now as some of them have stopped their activity.
Only about 40 fallow deer farms and 10 red deer farms, can guarantee annual availability of about 2000 fallow deer and 500 red deer for different purposes; they can be sold to hunting preserves or used directly for tourist farms or sold to fresh venison or cured pork meat factories.
As regards marketing, the commercialisation of farmed venison starte in 1990.
The Cooperative Ponte Parrano (Umbria), in the last five years, has been collecting and distributing farmed fresh venison to central Italy's supermarkets. Every year 1300 carcases (1100 fallow carcases and 200 red deer carcases) have been processed. In 1998 it is expected to process the same quantity of carcases, although the market would take at least 6000 of them. In the near future the Italian market could take about 10000 carcases, but the main problem is that the production is fragmented and 50% of it is managed by the state parks.
The average wholesale price paid to deer farmers for live animals for industry is 5500 Italian liras per kilo, about £1.98 for fallow deer and 6500 Italian liras per kilo, about £2.34 for red deer.
