New Zealand Deer Velvet Coalition representative, Felix Shen, has been among the millions isolating in Chinese apartments over the past six weeks as a result of the Chinese government’s lockdown of Shanghai and other provincial cities, as it pursues its Covid-19 elimination strategy. Something New Zealanders can sympathise with, notes DINZ manager markets Rhys Griffiths.
Griffiths reports Shen and his family have been undergoing regular testing. “They can now start to go out of the apartment, but they have to stay within a certain section of the quarantine departments.”
With most of the 2021 velvet season production now in the hands of overseas customers, importers to China face stringent new Covid-19 measures affecting food processing. In contrast, in South Korea, restrictions are easing as Covid-19 cases increase. DINZ is monitoring the situation, along with what effect the Russian-Ukrainian war will have on trade.
Felix Shen.
The good news is that the reported strong demand for New Zealand velvet continued right through to the end of the season, Griffiths reports, with export values for 2021-2022 likely to be up 20-25 percent on the 2020-2021 season. Planning has already started for velvet season promotion activity in 2022-2023.