TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan City Government confirmed deer antler harvesting is thriving and the season runs annually from March to June.

Tainan Agriculture Bureau, in partnership with the city's deer farming association, held a deer antler promotional event Wednesday. Hsu Hsing-chun (徐幸君), a bureau official, said the city's deer farming industry is doing well, with annual antler production exceeding 3,000 kilograms, per CNA.

As of September, Tainan had 49 deer farms with 2,377 deer, Hsu said. In 2023, the city's deer antler production reached 3,571 kg, generating an estimated NT$84 million (US$2.8 million) for the livestock industry.

Hsu said the city's deer farming culture is closely related to Siraya Indigenous culture. The Beitouyang Pingpu Culture Park in the city's Jiali District preserves Siraya culture, and several deer farms are located nearby.

Advancements in deer farming techniques and improved disease prevention have significantly boosted the city's deer antler production and quality, Hsu said. The high-quality antlers have prompted local producers to develop products such as deer meat meal kits, deer antler tea bags, and deer antler grain powder.

Hsu Hai-lung (許海龍), chair of Tainan’s deer farming association, said that some consumers view deer antlers as a difficult-to-cook ingredient or a health supplement exclusively for the elderly. It helps promote metabolism, supports bone development, and alleviates fatigue, among other benefits.

Some businesses imported low-priced deer antlers and passed them off as domestically produced, Hsu said. They also sold questionable deer antler medicinal wines, negatively affecting sales of locally produced deer antlers.

Hsu added the association will assist deer farmers in expanding into the leisure and tourism sector. In addition to organizing promotional events, it will also develop agricultural education programs to draw tourists to visit the farms.