African Ostrich Industry Looks Up
NAMIBIA - Despite a below average throughput, the Namibian Ostrich industry seems to have benefited a great deal, thanks to the ban slapped on South African ostrich exports.Managing director of Karas Tannery and Abattoir, Frikkie Mouton told New Era in an interview that the industry currently experiences one of its brightest moments on the international market.
"We experience an increase in prices, the demand is very good," Mouton noted, adding that the industry normally slaughtered 27 000 birds for export to the international market, but could not do so this season because of problems the industry experienced in the past.
"We have only 16 000 birds available for export," he added. Mouton cited the expensive production costs among others handicaps.
"The cost to raise an ostrich chicken is too expensive." He suggested that his company's profit margins could have been much better had it not been for the high production costs.
The former managing director of AgriBank said despite the high demand for ostrich meat as well as the good prices, the industry does not earn enough money to pay for the production costs. "But, we believe that there is a cheaper way to raise ostriches."
source: AllAfrica
28 April 2005
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