Ever heard of Emu oil? Maybe you haven't yet, but farmers in India are trying to correct that. They are seeking permission to export oil derived from a place on the bird's back. They say the oil has anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory properties. The farmers are located in India's western city of Pune. There are almost 1,000 farms for Emu birds in Maharashtra state with about 3,000 Emu birds.
Derived from a thick pad of fat on the back of the bird, Emu oil retails at 1,700 Rupees per litre. Sandeep Taware started a farm for the Emu birds in 2000. [Sandeep Taware, Emu Farmer]: "The business of Emu's oil is rising fast across the world. In India its market could also be developed because at the moment we are importing its oil. If we start extracting this oil in our own country, it will be very cheap for us."
Farmers say that an independent processing unit would also strengthen Indian distribution channels, currently managed by intermediaries or the farmers themselves. Taware and others in Maharashtra state are working together to strenghen the efforts of emu farmers. They have formed the Maha Emu Farmers Association, and are considering pooling their resources to set up a processing unit.
The Emu is the second largest living bird after ostrich. Like other ratite birds including the ostrich, cassowary, rhea and kiwi, this bird can neither fly nor run.
