Malegaon, Jan 16 (ANI): Emu farmers of Pune sought permission to export oil derived from a thick pad of fat on the back of the bird.
Oil is believed to have anti-cholesterol and anti-inflammatory properties.
Sandeep Taware started a farm for the Emu birds in 2000 naming it as Bhagirathi Hatcheries, covering a five-acre land at Malegaon in Baramati.
There are almost 1000 farms for Emu birds in Maharashtra with about 3000 Emu birds.
Derived from a thick pad of fat on the back of the bird, Emu oil retails at rupees 1,700 per litre.
An independent processing unit would also strengthen distribution channels, currently managed by intermediaries or the farmers themselves.
In a bid to plug the gaps in distribution and increase productivity, Taware and others in Maharashtra have formed the Maha Emu Farmers Association, and are considering pooling their resources to set up a processing unit.
"The business of Emu's oil is rising fast across the world. In India also, its market can 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. When we import it, it costs around rupees 2000 to rupees 2500. But if we extract this oil here, it will cost barely around rupees 600 to rupees 700," said Taware. The Emu is the second largest living bird after the ostrich. Like other ratite birds including the ostrich, cassowary, rhea and kiwi, this bird can neither fly nor run.
Though rarely seen in deserts and rainforests, it is often found in the savanna grasslands and open forests of Australia. By Shivaji Salunkhe (ANI)
Source : NewsTrackIndia