Ratite Industry Conference Set for April

Date:  March 20, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford  (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu

LAS CRUCES -- As the ratite industry grows, New Mexico breeders are looking for ways to improve and market their ostrich, emu and rhea products. To help address these concerns, the New Mexico Ratite Industry Conference will be held April 4-5 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.

Registration for the two-day conference begins at 9 a.m. April 4. Events will include a trade show, educational workshops and a tour of New Mexico State University's research facilities. During an April 5 workshop, breeders will demonstrate how to process a carcass at NMSU's meats laboratory.

"When this was a breeder's industry where pairs of birds were selling for a high price, producers who first came into the business were able to turn a pretty good profit," said Edmund Gomez, director of the Rural Agricultural Improvement and Public Affairs Project (RAIPAP) with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service. "Now, people are making a little, but most of them are probably just breaking even. That's why ratite producers need to let the country know about the good products they're producing."

While ostrich burgers and steaks have become popular dishes in some restaurants across the country, ratite producers want consumers to be able to prepare and enjoy such meals at home.

"Right now meat is being sold in New Mexico primarily in speciality restaurants where they have a high-dollar plate value on the menu," said Tom Phillips, president of New Mexico Emu Association. "It won't take much to get the emu meat down to a price that's comparable with filet mignon, and emu is a high-quality meat."

Phillips said it will be up to the ratite industry to find ways to inform consumers about the taste of the meat and educate them on how to prepare it.

Marketing meat and other by-products such as oil and feathers also will be discussed during the conference, Gomez said. Ratite breeders will have a chance to learn from each other and come up with solutions to their problems.

"There's also a need for management in husbandry," he said. "A lot of work has been done in Texas, Arkansas and other areas of the country, but there are specific problems that can only be addressed in New Mexico because of the climate and elevation."

The cost of the conference is $25 by March 25 and $30 at the door. To register, call Kathy Campbell, New Mexico Ratite Association, at (505) 281-4136. For more information, contact Tom Phillips at (505) 526-1028.