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South Island possums caught for use in possum meat dog food.
New Zealand dogs have eaten 100,000 kg of possum meat, or about 70,000 possums, in the past year in the form of company-made dog rolls and treats.
Pet food producer Fond Foods said demand for its Possyum dog food had doubled since 2017.
The animals had consumed 500,000 kg of possum meat since its release in 2010.
Most of the growth has now come in sales through New World, Pak’n Save and Countdown supermarkets across the country.
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At Countdown, a 2kg roll sells for $ 12.50 compared to $ 7 for the Butch Dog Roll.
“Much of the demand is coming from urban dog owners who are very interested in the nutritional and health benefits of their animals’ food,” said Clint Bolderston, CEO of Fond Foods.
“Possum meat is high in Omega 3 and 6 and can help with healthy skin, hair and joints. This makes our Possyum roll a premium product, with an excellent cost per feed ”.
The demand for possum dog food has been a factor in Fond Food’s decision to expand its factory in Paeroa. The expansion will enable increased production of Possyum dog rolls and increased production capacity for Possyum dry treats.
“We are a relatively small New Zealand-owned company and we often face large, multinational competitors. Possum’s meat dog food was almost unknown when we started producing it, but it has helped create a real point of difference and Possyum now accounts for 20 percent of our domestic dog roll sales. “
Sommer Kapitan, senior professor of marketing at AUT, said the convergence of two market trends is likely: demand for alternative protein sources and localization.
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Clint Bolderston (right) with Hauraki District Councilman Ross Harris at the Fond Foods factory in Paeroa.
“First, we are seeing a huge trend for alternative proteins for humans, such as plant-based meats. It makes sense that a marketer could identify a similar opportunity in the pet market.
“Although consumers and pet owners should be advised that pet diets can often be more accurate or need more careful monitoring than human diets. I don’t see alternative proteins – much of a push for grain-free type diets, etc. for pets – as fully accepted by veterinarians, so something endorsed by pet health experts will be key, ”he said.
Second, possums are vilified in New Zealand as pests. They are a local problem, and slaughtering and using excess product from these animals may have local solutions. Since I am an American, can I admit that I have never thought of using the fur of your main pests to keep me warm during the winter before? Perhaps this drive is related to the ability to obtain local food. If that’s enough and limits the pest population and feeds our animals, that aligns well with the movement for more local produce in our post-Covid world. “
At the University of Auckland, Marketing Director Bodo Lang said that the key to pet food was price and that it provided the right mix of nutrients.
“If there are other perks, like made in New Zealand, made with New Zealand ingredients, or made from possum, then these are additional bonuses.”
The meat that goes into Possyum dog food is caught or shot by registered hunters who only hunt in TB-free lands where no poison has been dumped.
It is then tested and inspected at MPI accredited processing facilities before arriving at the Fond Food factory, where it is processed into Possyum dog rolls and natural dry treats using its traditional recipe.
South Island trapper Joel Compton said growing demand for possum meat helped him launch a business and created new jobs. Catch 250-400 possums per week in the forests at the top of the South Island, earning up to $ 12 per carcass.
“I’ve been trapping part-time for years, but when it comes to pet food, now it’s unreal. Last year, I turned the trap into a full-time business and employed two part-time employees to help, ”he said.
“Possums are endless and we are only able to meet the demand. We are in the mountains at 10 in the morning and we work long hours cleaning tracks, processing and plucking ”.
Demand for Possyum and other possum pet food products meant that the amount I earned per possum had nearly tripled in the past 12 months, despite a drop in the value of possum fur. The growing reputation of his team had led them to be contacted to help with opossum control on iwi lands and private farms, he said.
