Ostrich meat outlet opens in Faisalabad

Meat contains low cholesterol and fat content

FAISALABAD: The first outlet that is selling ostrich meat has opened in Faisalabad. The outlet will provide pure and hygienic meat of ostriches to the people.

A spokesman of livestock department said on Wednesday that Livestock Director Dr Saliha Gull inaugurated the outlet at Sitiana Road where ostrich meat would be available on daily basis.

He said, “Ostrich meat is rich in Omega III, B-6, B-12, insulin and Vitamin-E and it is declared very useful for muscles, heart, bones and joints.”

The official added that ostrich meat is cholesterol free and controls blood pressure and diabetes in humans. He asked the people, especially diabetics, to incorporate ostrich meat in their diets.

Ostriches are farmed on a commercial basis in dozens of farms across Punjab for their meat, hide and feathers. The bird’s meat, a very similar in taste and texture to mutton but containing very low content of cholesterol and fat, can provide a solution to Pakistan’s increasing requirement of protein-containing meat amid escalating prices of mutton, beef, chicken, etc.

Ostrich, which is now considered to be a part of livestock in Punjab, is becoming a popular source of meat due to its delicious taste and health benefits.  Pakistan has not only the ‘perfect’ climatic conditions for ostrich farming, it has also the required manpower, infrastructure and feed much cheaper than many other countries.

Many people have taken ostrich farming as a business. The inspiration to invest in the sector came through the livestock exhibitions. Farmers learnt the world is now switching to ostrich farming as they are now considered livestock.

In recent years, the government has taken various measures to boost the sector. However, still awareness and more efforts are needed to convert ostrich farming into a profitable business.

On the other hand, a number of farmers complained of lack of support from the government as well as the company that provided them with the birds.

The Punjab government, they said, had declared ostrich a livestock but no veterinary assistance was available to ostrich farmers as was provided to those in the livestock business.

Meanwhile, the provincial government also provides Rs10,000 subsidy per ostrich to farmers and as of 2017, had registered over 10,000 ostriches in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2018.