AR-News: (Saudi Arabia) popularity of ostrich meat

[Mary Finelli]

>From the May 3rd AnimalNet:


OSTRICHES MAKE COMEBACK IN MEAT-HUNGRY SAUDI ARABIA
Reuters, Miral Fahmy, May 3, 2004


Riyadh - Decades after they died out in Saudi Arabia, ostriches have, 
according to this story, returned in droves to the kingdom's deserts -- to 
be served up as low-fat burgers and kebabs.
Faced with mad cows, diseased sheep and flu-ridden poultry, dozens of 
farmers in the kingdom -- which is one of the Middle East's biggest meat, 
livestock and poultry importers -- are, the story explains, cultivating 
ostriches to meet ever-increasing local demand.

The big birds are also being raised for their valuable skin and feathers, 
but this industry is still in its infancy compared to producers in world 
market leader South Africa.

Mansour al-Kreidess, director of the animal wealth department at the Riyadh 
Chamber of Commerce, was quoted as saying, "Ostriches are part of our 
strategy to diversify and reduce reliance on imports. It's suited to our 
desert climate and is a healthy red meat with few diseases, unlike sheep and 
cows. We want to copy South Africa but our industry is still in the 
beginning stages."

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