"Contacted for comment, Mr Pieter de Lange, a director of Hardap Ostriches indicated that the company expects to slaughter 7500 ostriches by the end of March. He noted that some of the problems in the industry are due to the re-appearance of South African ostriches in the market, and the higher exchange rate.
The number of ostriches slaughtered at Karas Abattoir and Tannery Processor (KAT), which previously went under the name Ostrich Production Namibia (OPN), is about 800 birds per week, according to the MD, Mr Frikkie Mouton. But KAT's business focus has since changed to concentrate on small stock slaughtering and the tannery."allAfrica.com: Namibia [analysis]: What Went Wrong in Ostrich Land?:
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Ostrich breeding in Iran
This two-toed flightless bird is going to be the basis of a new industry at Qeshm Island soon.
?By developing this ostrich industrial complex, all the products will be distributed in the country and abroad,? executive director of the complex told the Persian service of IRNA on Thursday.
Ozra Abbasszadeh also stated that food and packaging industry in this sector will be offered in accordance with international standards and related meat products such as sausage and kielbasa would be the mainstay. Moreover, fabrication of all kinds of leather bags, shoes and clothing as well as using the obtained fat for cosmetic cremes and various kinds of burn ointments may comprise another sector of this business.
?Research phases in scientific breeding have also been given a unique consideration in this endeavor and based on the recent findings ostrich is among the birds that all its parts have applications in medical sciences and industry,? she added.
The swift-footed bird meat contains Omega-3 ?factor? which holds anti-cancer elements, and it also has low cholesterol due to its electrostatic properties. Furthermore, the skin is considered as valuable as those of snake and crocodile and the leather made out of that is stronger and more flexible than cattle type. Each animal could produce 30-50 kilograms of meat per year which has a good market in Persian Gulf littoral states."Iran News - Ostrich breeding, promising industry at Qeshm: "Ostrich breeding, promising industry at Qeshm
Saturday, March 18, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com
?By developing this ostrich industrial complex, all the products will be distributed in the country and abroad,? executive director of the complex told the Persian service of IRNA on Thursday.
Ozra Abbasszadeh also stated that food and packaging industry in this sector will be offered in accordance with international standards and related meat products such as sausage and kielbasa would be the mainstay. Moreover, fabrication of all kinds of leather bags, shoes and clothing as well as using the obtained fat for cosmetic cremes and various kinds of burn ointments may comprise another sector of this business.
?Research phases in scientific breeding have also been given a unique consideration in this endeavor and based on the recent findings ostrich is among the birds that all its parts have applications in medical sciences and industry,? she added.
The swift-footed bird meat contains Omega-3 ?factor? which holds anti-cancer elements, and it also has low cholesterol due to its electrostatic properties. Furthermore, the skin is considered as valuable as those of snake and crocodile and the leather made out of that is stronger and more flexible than cattle type. Each animal could produce 30-50 kilograms of meat per year which has a good market in Persian Gulf littoral states."Iran News - Ostrich breeding, promising industry at Qeshm: "Ostrich breeding, promising industry at Qeshm
Saturday, March 18, 2006 - ©2005 IranMania.com
Friday, March 10, 2006
Ostrich feathers / ostrich meat influences
The ostrich has been known for thousands of years, from the time of the civilizations of Asia and Egypt. First reference to ostriches in South Africa were recorder around 1770. According to the same reference the farm were situated in the Cape Province. Archeological research has shown that ostriches existed million years ago as far as the Far East. The ostrich feather trade dates back only to thousands of years. Commercial ostrich farming started in South Africa around 1800. Since then, it has become firmly established in the in the Klein Karoo region.
In the beginning of the 20th century, the ostrich feathers symbolized great wealth and prestige. The Jewish community in Oudthoorn were the masterminds in the ostrich feather industry in the early 1900s, they developed it into a very important economic commodity for South Africa. The feathers were exported to Europe for mainly fashion and decoration purposes (wide brim hats, fans). Fashion then changed and the feather demand dropped drastically with the onset of WW1, the war effected export and demand in Europe and SA farmers also were going through a drought period, which effected production.
Ostrich farming continued but in a much smaller scale. The feather demand changed to industrial and home use e.g. feather dusters and cleaning instruments. At the beginning of the 20th century, the ostrich skins became a sought-after commodity. Ostrich leather remains one of the few exotic leather types available. Leather processing of ostrich skins was first processed in South Africa in 1970. The skin prices grew as the market grew and by early 1990 ostrich skin prices reached up to US$500.00 each. In 1993 when the South African ostrich monopoly was abolished the leather prices began to decline until to today.
The meat industry also is a growing industry and can compete with the leather in value. The outbreak of avian flu resulted in meat export bans and resulted in meat being sold in South African local market. The meat is now been declared free of avian flu and exports have resumed into Europe.
From this account of history, we could learn that the ostrich meat idustry has been effected by disease and the ostrich feathers by fashion/market demand.
In the beginning of the 20th century, the ostrich feathers symbolized great wealth and prestige. The Jewish community in Oudthoorn were the masterminds in the ostrich feather industry in the early 1900s, they developed it into a very important economic commodity for South Africa. The feathers were exported to Europe for mainly fashion and decoration purposes (wide brim hats, fans). Fashion then changed and the feather demand dropped drastically with the onset of WW1, the war effected export and demand in Europe and SA farmers also were going through a drought period, which effected production.
Ostrich farming continued but in a much smaller scale. The feather demand changed to industrial and home use e.g. feather dusters and cleaning instruments. At the beginning of the 20th century, the ostrich skins became a sought-after commodity. Ostrich leather remains one of the few exotic leather types available. Leather processing of ostrich skins was first processed in South Africa in 1970. The skin prices grew as the market grew and by early 1990 ostrich skin prices reached up to US$500.00 each. In 1993 when the South African ostrich monopoly was abolished the leather prices began to decline until to today.
The meat industry also is a growing industry and can compete with the leather in value. The outbreak of avian flu resulted in meat export bans and resulted in meat being sold in South African local market. The meat is now been declared free of avian flu and exports have resumed into Europe.
From this account of history, we could learn that the ostrich meat idustry has been effected by disease and the ostrich feathers by fashion/market demand.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Birdflu: Finland must keep ostriches indoors!
"From next Wednesday, new regulations stipulate that poultry should be kept indoors to prevent the spread of the disease from migratory birds to domesticated fowl.
Sune Mattson, an ostrich farmer in Saltvik in the Finland Islands, feels that ostriches simply cannot be kept indoors. "Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - Home:
Sune Mattson, an ostrich farmer in Saltvik in the Finland Islands, feels that ostriches simply cannot be kept indoors. "Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - Home:
Thumbs up from Norway for ostrich meat in Namibia
"Besides lamb and springbok, B&M Food also imports into Norway ostrich meat from OPN in Keetmanshoop. The company has imported beef from Namibia and Botswana since April/May 1995, and is the largest importer by volume of both of frozen and chilled products from the two countries."allAfrica.com: Namibia: Norway Inspects Mariental Meat Packaging Factory:
Zimbabwe get the all clear for avian flu for ostriches
"Zimbabwe's The Herald is pleased the country's authorities have given the OK for a number of major poultry arms to resume exports after they were declared free of the H5N1 virus.
A leading veterinary official said 'a regional approach in combating the virus was the best effective preventive mechanism that would see the southern African region free of the virus'.
'He said his department had during the assessment at two ostrich farms in Bulawayo, detected harmless anti-bodies of the H5N2 type of the avian virus in the ostriches.'"JTW News - African press eyes bird flu dangers:
A leading veterinary official said 'a regional approach in combating the virus was the best effective preventive mechanism that would see the southern African region free of the virus'.
'He said his department had during the assessment at two ostrich farms in Bulawayo, detected harmless anti-bodies of the H5N2 type of the avian virus in the ostriches.'"JTW News - African press eyes bird flu dangers:
Sunday, March 05, 2006
South African TV news on Ostrich flu outbreak
South African TV news on Ostrich flu outbreak
Click on the following link to read media release for the ostrich flu outbreak:
SABCnews.com - economy/business
Click on the following link to read media release for the ostrich flu outbreak:
SABCnews.com - economy/business
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
30 000 dead ostriches economic ripple
On the 9 August 2004 around 30 000 ostriches were culled due evidense of Avian flu H5N2 in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Some questions still remain hanging:
1) Did the ostriches have the antibodies from a prevoius outbreak?
2) Why the extreme measure in the Eastern Cape and not in the rest of South Africa ?
3) Why were there no imediate roadblocks instituted by the SA government?
4) Did anybody preserve the antibodies for further research?
Many farm birds were relaesed to wild/mountains to prevent infection. The infected birds were burried in mass graves. Today in the Eastern Cape due to teh mass cull ostrich breeders are rare. The Western Cape is now main source of chicks and chick prices have droped ealy in 2006 due to over supply. Ostrich suppliers in Graaf Reinet and Port Elizabeth were crippled and still working hard to enter market. Strategic buy outs of Eastern Cape tanneries have occured by larger players and is causing interesting ripples in markets.
Some questions still remain hanging:
1) Did the ostriches have the antibodies from a prevoius outbreak?
2) Why the extreme measure in the Eastern Cape and not in the rest of South Africa ?
3) Why were there no imediate roadblocks instituted by the SA government?
4) Did anybody preserve the antibodies for further research?
Many farm birds were relaesed to wild/mountains to prevent infection. The infected birds were burried in mass graves. Today in the Eastern Cape due to teh mass cull ostrich breeders are rare. The Western Cape is now main source of chicks and chick prices have droped ealy in 2006 due to over supply. Ostrich suppliers in Graaf Reinet and Port Elizabeth were crippled and still working hard to enter market. Strategic buy outs of Eastern Cape tanneries have occured by larger players and is causing interesting ripples in markets.
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