Orissa's bird farmers cash in on emus

Bhubaneswar: The Australian bird is rapidly replacing traditional poultry farming.

They grow to 6 feet in height, weigh 50 kilos and can run at a speed of 40 miles per hour, but far from being intimidating, these emus are proving to be a boon for farmers in Orissa.

Emu farmer, Mohan Reddy took a loan of 20 lakh rupees to raise 14 emus. In just three years, he has not only repaid his loans and but has also made a neat profit of 5 lakh rupees.

Reddy says, "After my success many people across the state are interested in learning about emu farming. I am giving them training and I have enough eggs and emus to supply them. There is a huge demand for this bird and there is scope for a lot of people to grow."

So what is so special about this ungainly bird you may wonder? Its meat may cost you 750 rupees per kg but is cholesterol-free. Oil extracted from the bird's fat is used in beauty products. Its feathers are used in handicrafts and its skin is tanned for leather.

Little wonder as to why as many as 140 farmers in the state have taken to emu farming.

Poultry farmer, Ananta Naryan Rout says "I am a poultry farmer but I could not make much profit as the chickens are prone to various disease like the bird flu. So I decided to stop it and have taken emus from Mohan Reddy to start my own farm."


Couresty:ibnlive.com
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