PIRMA AFRICA launches website with ostrich leather football boots

PIRMA AFRICA, an exotic leather sportwear company has launched their website to Africa. The website introduces for the first time PIRMA AFRICA’s initial catalogue to the market since the companies entry into Africa. The website depicts a fresh new product range for the growing African football market (consisting of exotic leather mixed with synthetic material). 

Some of the boots advertised are fully ostrich leather and/or partially decorated in ostrich leather. The ostrich leather is a typical African leather but a first for the world of football. The next range to be announced is in January 2009 and said to consist of other exotic leathers. This development is going to be interesting to watch on and off the soccer field. The timing for PIRMA AFRICA is ideal for the run up to the 2010 FIFA Worldcup in South Africa. 

South African ostrich farmers receiving more - August 2008

Main ostrich processors in South Africa have pushed up the price paid to farmers by up to 20% during August 2008. Other ostrich leather and meat producers accept they will have to do the same to maintain supply. Pricing given for a bird, depending on meat, skin and feather grading has topped +/- ZAR 2800.00 per bird. 

One of the main reasons for the price increase was to assist the increasing feed and fuel costs on the farm. 

Many South African ostrich farmers have stopped ostrich farming due to challenging periods where meat exports were halted twice during the past three years and increasing input farming costs.

Concerns in the market are that the costing will need to be passed onto leather and meat prices at some time. The weakening South Africa Rand has alleviated immediate price increases, but may not be sufficient to hold the increases for much longer.

Source S&V African Leather. 

World first ostrich leather soccer boots for 2010 worldcup

A world first, ostrich leather soccer boots. Ostrich Emporium SA together with a Mexican company PIRMA are working on a new style of soccer boots to be launched before and in conjunction with the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. The thinking behind the idea was to provide a textured boot (using ostrich quill) to assist spinning the the soccer ball into the goals (to "bend it like beckham"). Unlike the Ostrich Skin Nike Dunk High (http://www.nicekicks.com/ostrich-skin-nike-dunk-high/) these boots are genuine ostrich leather.

Feel free to read more at the following links:

"THANKS to opportunities flowing from the 2010 soccer showpiece, two Nelson Mandela Bay entrepreneurs have teamed up with a Mexican company to produce soccer boots made out of ostrich leather." http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/biz/03_25082008.htm


For more photo's and information visit:
http://www.ostrichemporium.com/ostrichboot.htm

Distributed in South Africa by PIRMA AFRICA

July 2008. EU may again ban South Africa ostrich meat.

"THE European Union (EU), the main export market for SA’s ostrich meat, is considering banning ostrich exports as the agriculture department continues to falter on the monitoring of health standards.
However, most of SA’s ostrich meat is exported with the EU its most significant market. Ostrich meat worth more than R1bn, or about 90% of total exports, goes to Europe.
A ban on those exports could damage the industry severely. An agricultural trade specialist, who declined to be named, said SA’s market was not big enough to absorb exports diverted."
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A802746
"Red meat, poultry, honey, milk and game meat had already been banned from the EU countries. Commission spokesperson Marie Antonie Kerwien told the newspaper there were concerns over quality controls at laboratories testing the safety of the ostrich meat." http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-25_2358263

Questions:
1) Was this poor media interpretation or hype ?
2) Is this just not another way for the EU to keep the European economy afloat by excluding further imports through unrealistic technicalities ? (especially during the economic downturn of 2008).
3) Is South African meat exports standards slipping ?

It will be important for the outcome to be announced with detail and transparency.

bird flu report April 2008

Bird flu kills boy in Indonesia
04/29/08 10:24 PM, EDT
A 3-year-old boy in Indonesia died from bird flu, boosting the death toll in the country hardest hit by the disease to 108, the health ministry announced Wednesday.
Read the full story at http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/29/indonesia.birdflu.ap/index.html