Ostrich farming on the rise in Herat

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Agriculture and livestock officials in western Herat province say that ostrich farming is on the rise in the province due to being the most profitable business with low costs.

Khalil Ahmad Behmensh, in charge of livestock and animal health in Herat agriculture department, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there were five ostrich farms active in the province.

He said that apart from meat, the bird’s egg, skin and oil of ostrich were used in making garments.

However, he said that no assistance was given to ostrich farmers in terms of training and other areas.

“Unfortunately no specific program or cooperation is extended to farmers by the agriculture department, neither in the marketing area nor in the promotion,” he said.

Nazir Ahmad Sultani, owner of an  ostrich farms in Injil district of Herat said that he started the farm by importing seven birds from Iran three years ago.

He said that his farm grew with the passage of a year and he sold 80 baby ostriches and 50 of their eggs in a year in the market. He said that he currently had 19 ostriches in his farm for meat.

“Ostrich is better compared to other animals because they consume less food but has faster growth, their meat, egg and oil is very beneficial and is an industry which is new in the world,” he said.

At least 40 ostrich chicks should be kept in a farm based on farm standards, but Afghan farm owners keep only 20 of them in farms due to shortage of electricity and other facilities, he said.

He said that each ostrich chick was sold for 6,000 Afghanis, an egg of the bird for reproduction was sold for 2,000 Afghanis and an egg for cooking was sold for 300 Afghanis.

A kilogram meat of the bird is sold from 600 to 750 Afghanis, he added.  Aside from that, skin, oil and waste of the bird are other products, he added.

mds/ma