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Farmers in the north of the state take to rearing Emus, the big Australian birds, banking on a business plan that promises average returns, reports Hitesh Ankleshwaria
Mathurbhai Amathabhai Patel used to grow potatoes at his village of Geritha in Mehsana. Apart from this, the farmer used to grow the odd vegetable or two. But since October, 2008, like some other farmers from his state, Mathurbhai started rearing the Emu, the faunal icon of Australia, in captivity. Till date, Mathurbhai has sold 150 Emu eggs for Rs 1500 each.
Two dedicated workers take care of the birds at this north Gujarat farm. They feed the gaggle, treat the birds in their sickness. When an Emu lays an egg, they enter it in the register before packing it in a box. But what did really prompt Mathurbhai to take to Emu rearing? He says, “In September, 2008, the Indian Emu Life Private Ltd had organised a seminar for farmers at Visnagar and informed them about this lucrative business. At this seminar, I came to know about the Australian bird and the good business potential it held. The company invited us to its head quarter in Nasik and we had an in-depth look into the business. This business promised good profits with less hard work. So I started.”
A lot of farmers like Mathurbhai in Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat took to Emu rearing in 2008. Today more than 25 farmers are engaged in the business. An Emu help line centre has also started functioning at Visnagar town of Mehsana. The Gokul Kisangram Samiti is pre-booking Emus wanted by farmers. As per its trustee and chairman, Jigar Patel, in the last week, three new farmers have registered their names with the body. The organisation receives enquiries from more than ten farmers everyday. Patel was the first farmer who started this business in north Gujarat. He explains the business module.
“To start Emu rearing, 10 pairs of bird are required. It costs about Rs 1,50,000 and requires just half an acre land of land. Fencing, erecting the shed and arranging for water and buying a grass cutter account for another Rs 90,000. This brings the total project cost to around Rs 2,40,000. As per my estimate, total expenses for the Emus' food, medicine, maintenance, insurance (for the first year) and transportation will bring the net total to Rs 7,95,000 for five years. Income from the farm starts getting generated only after one year. Farmers get a market price of Rs 1500 per egg. An average pair of Emus (of the age of 3 years) lays 30 to 35 eggs every season over their 40-year life span. If one pair of Emus lays 15 eggs per year, the total for 10 pairs comes to 150 eggs which will earn a farmer Rs 2,25,000. If one pair lays 25 eggs in its third year and 35 eggs in the fourth and fifth years, the total income will be Rs 16,50,000 for first five years. Deduct the expenses and a farmer can earn Rs 8,55,000 from Emu farming in five years,” says Patel. Clearly, even at its optimistic best, the business model gives just above Rs.200,000 per year as income, with no guarantee that the eggs will get finally sold or not. That seems to be quite an average return when seen in the perspective of the infrastructure, money, and time investment. And the wonder of it is that it's not even clear what the egg is finally supposed to do, apart from giving birth to another Emu.
Yet, Emu rearers do not need to find a market for their products as a six-year contract exists between the Nasik-based Emu Life Private Limited (ELPL) and the Farmer which includes buying that all the bird's body parts, taking back of a live or dead Emu too. “Emu requires meticulous looking after till it becomes one year old. Thereafter things become relaxed as Emus have a robust immune system. However, ELPL provides us training and their doctors come here every three months for routine check-ups. Emus are voracious creatures. You have to feed them corns and green fodder. Apart from these, it is fond of black soil too. This bird can sustain temperature fluctuations ranging between -10 and 60 degree Celsius. To feed an Emu, it costs you Rs 20 per day which is one-third of what would take to feed a cow or a buffalo. Emus are not aggressive but can defend themselves. If a cat, a dog or a snake enters their territory, Emus gather in groups and chases away the encroaching animal and at times, even kill them,” Mathurbhai lets it all out in one breadth.
Patel sheds light on the future of Emu rearing in Gujarat. He draws the whole circle: “Emu rearing started in Maharashtra and spread to Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Right now, all the eggs produced here are sent to the Nasik-based company which processes these eggs for 50-60 days till they hatch. When the chicks grow up to three or four months, they sell them to the farmers. These farmers have to take care of them for one year and then, the female Emus start laying eggs.”
Apparently, every body part of the Emu has an international market. The oil extracted from a dead Emu fetches Rs 3,000 per litre and generally one adult Emu contains four to five litres of it. Each Emu weighs a minimum of 50 kg. Its skin, feathers and nails also have good markets. Farmers send the Emu's body parts to the committee office. Then the office, with ELPL help, sends them out to the market. Emu’s meat is protein-rich but has low fat. Its meat has a good demand in foreign markets. Patel thinks the future of Emu rearing in north Gujarat is bright. “Right now, farmers of north Gujarat have more than 1,000 pairs of Emus and as per our estimate, it will reach 5,000 pairs in one year,” he says.
Farmers of north Gujarat are dreaming of riding the Emus to make quick bucks. nly time will tell how much of it they actually manage to do. One just hopes this whole grandiose plan is not just a multi-level marketing setup in disguise.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Farmers in the north of the state take to rearing Emus, the big Australian birds, banking on a business plan that promises average returns, reports Hitesh Ankleshwaria
Mathurbhai Amathabhai Patel used to grow potatoes at his village of Geritha in Mehsana. Apart from this, the farmer used to grow the odd vegetable or two. But since October, 2008, like some other farmers from his state, Mathurbhai started rearing the Emu, the faunal icon of Australia, in captivity. Till date, Mathurbhai has sold 150 Emu eggs for Rs 1500 each.
Two dedicated workers take care of the birds at this north Gujarat farm. They feed the gaggle, treat the birds in their sickness. When an Emu lays an egg, they enter it in the register before packing it in a box. But what did really prompt Mathurbhai to take to Emu rearing? He says, “In September, 2008, the Indian Emu Life Private Ltd had organised a seminar for farmers at Visnagar and informed them about this lucrative business. At this seminar, I came to know about the Australian bird and the good business potential it held. The company invited us to its head quarter in Nasik and we had an in-depth look into the business. This business promised good profits with less hard work. So I started.”
A lot of farmers like Mathurbhai in Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Banaskantha districts of Gujarat took to Emu rearing in 2008. Today more than 25 farmers are engaged in the business. An Emu help line centre has also started functioning at Visnagar town of Mehsana. The Gokul Kisangram Samiti is pre-booking Emus wanted by farmers. As per its trustee and chairman, Jigar Patel, in the last week, three new farmers have registered their names with the body. The organisation receives enquiries from more than ten farmers everyday. Patel was the first farmer who started this business in north Gujarat. He explains the business module.
“To start Emu rearing, 10 pairs of bird are required. It costs about Rs 1,50,000 and requires just half an acre land of land. Fencing, erecting the shed and arranging for water and buying a grass cutter account for another Rs 90,000. This brings the total project cost to around Rs 2,40,000. As per my estimate, total expenses for the Emus' food, medicine, maintenance, insurance (for the first year) and transportation will bring the net total to Rs 7,95,000 for five years. Income from the farm starts getting generated only after one year. Farmers get a market price of Rs 1500 per egg. An average pair of Emus (of the age of 3 years) lays 30 to 35 eggs every season over their 40-year life span. If one pair of Emus lays 15 eggs per year, the total for 10 pairs comes to 150 eggs which will earn a farmer Rs 2,25,000. If one pair lays 25 eggs in its third year and 35 eggs in the fourth and fifth years, the total income will be Rs 16,50,000 for first five years. Deduct the expenses and a farmer can earn Rs 8,55,000 from Emu farming in five years,” says Patel. Clearly, even at its optimistic best, the business model gives just above Rs.200,000 per year as income, with no guarantee that the eggs will get finally sold or not. That seems to be quite an average return when seen in the perspective of the infrastructure, money, and time investment. And the wonder of it is that it's not even clear what the egg is finally supposed to do, apart from giving birth to another Emu.
Yet, Emu rearers do not need to find a market for their products as a six-year contract exists between the Nasik-based Emu Life Private Limited (ELPL) and the Farmer which includes buying that all the bird's body parts, taking back of a live or dead Emu too. “Emu requires meticulous looking after till it becomes one year old. Thereafter things become relaxed as Emus have a robust immune system. However, ELPL provides us training and their doctors come here every three months for routine check-ups. Emus are voracious creatures. You have to feed them corns and green fodder. Apart from these, it is fond of black soil too. This bird can sustain temperature fluctuations ranging between -10 and 60 degree Celsius. To feed an Emu, it costs you Rs 20 per day which is one-third of what would take to feed a cow or a buffalo. Emus are not aggressive but can defend themselves. If a cat, a dog or a snake enters their territory, Emus gather in groups and chases away the encroaching animal and at times, even kill them,” Mathurbhai lets it all out in one breadth.
Patel sheds light on the future of Emu rearing in Gujarat. He draws the whole circle: “Emu rearing started in Maharashtra and spread to Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Right now, all the eggs produced here are sent to the Nasik-based company which processes these eggs for 50-60 days till they hatch. When the chicks grow up to three or four months, they sell them to the farmers. These farmers have to take care of them for one year and then, the female Emus start laying eggs.”
Apparently, every body part of the Emu has an international market. The oil extracted from a dead Emu fetches Rs 3,000 per litre and generally one adult Emu contains four to five litres of it. Each Emu weighs a minimum of 50 kg. Its skin, feathers and nails also have good markets. Farmers send the Emu's body parts to the committee office. Then the office, with ELPL help, sends them out to the market. Emu’s meat is protein-rich but has low fat. Its meat has a good demand in foreign markets. Patel thinks the future of Emu rearing in north Gujarat is bright. “Right now, farmers of north Gujarat have more than 1,000 pairs of Emus and as per our estimate, it will reach 5,000 pairs in one year,” he says.
Farmers of north Gujarat are dreaming of riding the Emus to make quick bucks. nly time will tell how much of it they actually manage to do. One just hopes this whole grandiose plan is not just a multi-level marketing setup in disguise.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
IIPM Mumbai Campus
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