CHAPTER 10 - EMUS
Emu Industry
10.1 The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is highly mobile and is distributed throughout Australia. It
occurs in greatest abundance in sheep pastoral regions and in areas protected by the dingo fence. It is a
very large bird, equalled only by the cassowary, growing up to 2m in height and 50 kg in weight.
10.2 Emu farming was pioneered in Western Australia when two Swiss families started a farm at
Kalannie in 1970 in the hope of producing high quality leather. Owing to problems with feeding birds,
hatching eggs and tanning the leather, the business did not last (it closed in 1973) and few birds were
ever produced, although the project did prove that good leather could be made from emu skin. [1]
10.3 Then in 1976, Applied Ecology, a company established by the Commonwealth Government to
promote enterprises for Aboriginal communities started an emu farm at an old agricultural research
station, Wiluna. Despite its remote location and numerous problems with facilities, emu feed and
equipment, stock numbers increased and some useful information was gathered. In 1981, the
Ngangganawili Aboriginal community took over the venture and by 1986 were raising 600 emu chicks
per year.
10.4 At the same time a private company, Dromaius Pty Ltd, was given approval to catch 500 emu
chicks from the wild to commence a venture at Mount Gibson. Commercial activities soon followed with
authorisation by the Western Australian government in 1987 of the sale of 500 chicks from the
Ngangganawili Aboriginal community. Also at this time, the Queensland Government gave approval for
the Aboriginal settlement at Cherbourg (some 180 km north west of Brisbane) to capture 300 wild emus
in order to establish a venture there. By 1994, six states had approved commercial farming of emus. The
first company to be given a licence by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to
process emus and market product overseas, Little Meadows Emu Farm Pty Ltd of Western Australia,
did so in 1990. [2]
10.5 There are now emu farms in all states of Australia, but not in the Northern Territory or ACT. As
shown in Table 10.1 (below), Victoria has vastly more farms than any other state but this is primarily a
function of the fact that there is no lower limit on the number of birds owners must have before they can
be registered. In Queensland, the minimum number is 50 and so there are a large number of birds owned
by a relatively small number of farmers.
| Number of licensed farmers | Number of emus
| Emus per farm (average) |
|---|
| Victoria | 782 | 40,000 | 31 |
| South Aust | 218 | 6,200 | 28 |
| NSW | 149 | 12,000 | 89 |
| Western Aust | 85 | 31,000 | 365 |
| Tasmania | 58 | 2,500 | 43 |
| Queensland | 38 | 12,000 | 316 |
| Total | 1,330 | 84,000 | 63 |
Table 10.1 - Number of licensed emu farmers in each state, number of emus and average number of
emus per farm in 1996 (Source: Submission No. 196, p. 2, Emu Association of Queensland).
10.6 There are, however, many more emus held in farms overseas than there are in Australia: America is
estimated to have some 2 million birds, Canada 8,000, Europe 6,5000, China 8-10,000 and NZ 2,000.
These numbers have been build up primarily from stock that has come from surplus zoo populations. [3]
10.7 The farming of emus is currently going through a phase of considerable expansion. Three main
product lines are marketed: meat and to a lesser extent leather and oil. Emus are processed at between
10 and 18 months at which time they weigh about 40-45 kg, yielding a dressed weight of about 20 kg,
of which 14 kg is boned-out meat. Each bird carries about 9 kg of fat which yields about 6 litres of oil,
and the hide produces about 0.6 m of leather. [4]
10.8 As detailed in Tables 10.2 and 10.3, interstate and overseas exports from the industry over the
period 1992-93 to 1995-95 show a pattern of fluctuations rather than a steady increase, reflecting
problems associated with product marketing.
| Interstate | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
|---|
| Emus (incl eggs) | 6,234 | 19,161 | 9,595 | 1,555 |
| Eggs (blown) | 1,141 | 478 | 540 | 496 |
| Body Skins | 1,351 | 1,771 | 1,737 | 4,625 |
| Leg Skins | 2,981 | 2,347 | 1,923 | 6,631 |
| Emu Meat (kg) | 15,132 | 26,951 | 17,298 | 13,297 |
| Emu Oil (litres) | 350 | 237 | 4,397 | 3,816 |
| Emu Feathers (kg) | 20 | 2 | 108 | 4 |
Table 10.2 - Interstate distribution of products from the emu industry over the period 1992-93 to
1995-96.
(Source: Submission 126 -Agriculture Western Australia, p. 3)
| Overseas | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
|---|
| Emus (incl eggs) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eggs (blown) | 970 | 1,000 | 891 | 1,969 |
| Body Skins | 1,166 | 2,821 | 500 | 1,102 |
| Leg Skins | 3,466 | 3,938 | 547 | 1,694 |
| Emu Meat (kg) | 14,666 | 27,913 | 46,843 | 37,181 |
| Emu Oil (litres) | 11,533 | 36,851 | 26,602 | 13,978 |
| Emu Feathers (kg) | 2 | 25 | 30 | 1 |
Table 10.3 - Overseas exports of products from the emu industry
over the period 1992-93 to 1995-96.
(Source: Submission 126 - Agriculture Western Australia, p. 3)
Meat
10.9 Emu meat is low in fat (1.7 to 4.5 %) compared to beef (2 to 15 %) and pork (25 %), [5] and it
has a lower feed conversion ratio (1:5) than does beef (1:8 to 1:12). [6] At the high end of the gourmet
food line, it is fetching between $12.50 and $16.50 per kilo. [7]
10.10 During the last five years considerable research has enabled emu meat to be processed to a
standard suitable for export and it is gaining wide market acceptance as a 'game' meat, particularly
overseas. Emu meat has now been exported to China, Singapore, Hong Kong and France; trial
shipments have gone to Germany, Holland and Indonesia; and there are good prospects of further
openings in Japan and Europe. In the 1997-98 year, Yellabiddy Marketing Pty Ltd expects to place
about 75,000kg of meat, worth $1.125 million wholesale. [8] Orders are currently in excess of supply.
The Victorian-based company, Australian Emu Industries Limited, is supplying meat to South Korea and
Taiwan, and is negotiating a contract to supply China with cosmetics. [9]
Leather
10.11 Emu leather is very fine and retains a unique and attractive patterning after tanning. It is ideally
suited for garment manufacture, and accessories, as it is supple and easy to work. The value of a tanned
hide varies from nil, for a badly scarred skin, to $200 for an unblemished skin. [10]
10.12 A major problem in the emu industry is the recovery of high quality unblemished skins to make
A-grade leather. The production of emu leather was initially hindered by a number of problems related
to bird transport, slaughter technique and on-farm production. However, over the last five years
considerable investment in research and development has led to the manufacture of high quality emu
leather in economically viable quantities, although for Yellabiddy Marketing, the company has yet to see
any substantial return from the product. Sales for 1997 are budgeted at $280,000 (a 20% increase on
the previous year), most of which will be exported. [11] There are currently stockpiles of second-grade
leather in Australia. [12]
10.13 Little Meadows Emu Farm Pty Ltd believes that after seven years of research, it has finally
developed very high quality tanned skins for accessories such as belts, wallets and purses, which are
acceptable to the fashion industry. [13]
Oil
10.14 Emu oil, refined from fat, has a number of domestic and light industrial uses including
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, health care, veterinary, and aerospace applications. Raw emu oil must be
graded and separated into these categories. However, the technology is currently not available in
Australia to carry this out although it is being done in other countries, notably Canada. [14]
10.15 Because private establishments have carried out much of the research on emu oil, most of the
results are not publicly available. However, there is little doubt within the industry that the oil has some
interesting and powerful uses. [15] Some research into emu oil has been commissioned by a consortium
of farmers in Queensland which is being carried out by the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. [16]
10.16 Emu Oil Therapies in Victoria is a fully integrated company that manufactures health goods using
emu oil. Emu oil has good skin penetration properties and is valuable as a 'carrier' oil for other
treatments (such as tea-tree oil or pharmaceuticals). It also has anti-inflammatory properties and may be
more effective than many other such products currently on the market. [17]
10.17 Therapeutic registration for 100 per cent pure emu oil has been obtained by only one company so
far, Little Meadows Emu Farm Pty Ltd. [18] This company has also developed a range of skin-care
products containing emu oil and is currently negotiating with a number of countries to obtain import
registration for the product line.
10.18 Yellabiddy Marketing Pty Ltd has averaged sales of about 2200 litres per annum of pure emu oil
over the last five years, most of which has been consumed by the domestic market. Export sales are
increasing and Yellabiddy currently export to 26 countries. In the 1997-98 year, Yellabiddy Marketing
Pty Ltd expects to place about 6,500 litres of oil, worth wholesale $1.35 million in cosmetic products
and $285,000 in pure oil sales. [19] There is currently an oversupply of emu oil and frozen fat is being
stockpiled in Australia.
Western Australia
10.19 Because emu farming began in Western Australia, the industry there is some 7-10 years ahead of
the other states, although industry representatives believe that they still have a long way to go before they
become a 'major world force'. [20] There the industry is characterised by a number of large individual
organisations which are vertically integrated and are separately targeting their own markets.
10.20 The Western Australian Government has strongly supported the emu industry in that state. Total
industry support from 1988 to June 1996 was $1.14 million, of which $720,000 (63%) was contributed
by Agriculture Western Australia, $355,000 by RIRDC and $65,000 by industry. The 1996/97
program had projected expenditure of $253,000 of which Agriculture Western Australia contributed
$168,000, and was to be focussed on assisting in the development of emu oil, maximising the quality and
volume of oil produced and improving the quality of emu leather. [21]
Queensland
10.21 The emu industry in Queensland is small in comparison to other states and it has been carefully
controlled by the government 'to maintain orderly development'. [22] When government approval was
given to Cherbourg Aboriginal Community to establish a farm (see Box: Cherbourg Aboriginal Emu
Farm & Abattoir), a moratorium was placed on the establishment of other emu enterprises in that state
until 1990. When the moratorium ceased, new licensees were required to have a minimum of 100 birds,
a condition imposed in an effort to ensure that the industry started out with viable entrepreneurs, rather
than hobbyists. This minimum was later reduced to 50. [23]
10.22 According to the Queensland Government: 'The emu industry has now reached a critical stage
where DPI is working with industry to strengthen the marketing and processing sectors of the industry to
match the now expanding availability of birds for commercial markets'. [24]
Victoria
10.23 Emu farming in Victoria was approved in March 1994 and the entire industry is based on captive
breeding stock obtained from other states. As elsewhere, farmers are licensed under relevant wildlife
legislation and all farms are monitored for compliance under codes of practice. Industry estimates
suggest that at 1 January 1997, there were some 300,000 emus in Victoria held by 650 licensed
farmers. The high level of interest in emu farming in Victoria is attributed to the high number of hobby
farmers and ease of entry into the industry compared with other states. [25]
10.24 The industry in Victoria is keen to be self regulatory and to this end has established a nine member
committee, the Emu Industry Development Committee (EIDC), which is responsible for managing funds
raised through a $300 levy which is incorporated in annual licence fees for all commercial emu farmers.
There is also a $2.50 slaughter levy. The EIDC also arranged to take over from government
responsibility for field inspections of new and existing licences, in exchange for a reduction in licence fees
from $650 to $250. [26]
10.25 A promotional company has recently been established in Victoria, Australian Emu Industries Ltd,
which has 426 emu producers from all over Australia as shareholders. This company has produced its
own brand of cosmetics and liniments based on emu oil, together with other emu oil products. [27]
10.26 Owing to lack of suitable markets, many Victorian farmers are now holding stock well past
preferred slaughtering dates and, with the cost of hand-feeding emus at about $7-10 per head per
month, it is expected that there will be some rationalisation of the industry in the next few years. [28]
Because the original Victoria stock were obtained from Western Australia, releasing surplus stock into
the wild is considered to be undesirable and so the Victorian EIDC has developed a strategy to minimise
this prospect by acting as a broker to assist farmers in financial trouble to find buyers for their stock. Six
abattoirs have been established in Victoria, five of which are export accredited, or are seeking that
status. However, full processing facilities, including the rendering of oil, have still not been constructed at
any of the abattoirs. [29]
South Australia
10.27 The South Australian Government amended the National Parks and Wildlife Act in 1993 to
allow for the commercial farming of emus and approved the first licences in July 1994. Prior to that emus
had been held by individuals under Class 1, 2, or 3 Permits to Keep and Sell Protected Animals.
Emu farmers must be licensed and applicants must comply by conditions set out in a Code of
Management. Although emus are a common species and occur throughout most of the state, capture
from the wild is prohibited and all farmed emus were derived from breeding stock obtained from
Western Australia and Queensland. [30]
10.28 About 13,000 emus were bred in the 1995 season and by 1997, there were some 212 registered
emu farms with over 17,500 emus. The number reached a peak in 1995-96 when an estimated 19,440
emus were bred, but this declined to 11,400 the following year. [31] Based on 1992 figures, the gross
return to emu producers on delivery to a meat processing works was $296 per emu. [32]
10.29 The submission from the South Australian Government estimated that by the year 2000, the
breeding hen population would be around 20,000 with each hen having an average reproductive rate of
15 young. This would mean that the number of yearlings available for slaughter in 2001 would be
231,000. However, as with other states, market development is a major concern to emu farmers and
some industry rationalisation is expected before too long. [33]
Tasmania
10.30 Emu farming in Tasmania is currently going through a period of rationalisation: while in 1995 there
were 80 emu farms registered, government information suggests that about half of those farms no longer
stock emus. The Tasmanian Government believes that the number of enterprises will retract further to a
small group of larger businesses having economies of scale able to withstand the inputs required for
ongoing research and marketing. [34]
Environmental and Conservation Issues
10.31 In September 1995, the Australian Nature Conservation Agency (now Environment Australia)
published a report on the Development of National Guidelines to Address Conservation Issues in
the Emu Industry which was submitted to the Standing Committee on Conservation. The report
identified a number of issues relating to conservation and the environment:
- there was no further need to take birds from the wild, either for direct harvesting or for
supplementary genetic material;
- there was a need for states to formulate contingency plans in the event of industry failure and the
need to dispose of large numbers of captive bred birds; and
- there was a degree of variation among states in legal and administrative requirements and that
there was 'an urgent requirement to rationalise and standardise practices'. [35]
10.32 Emus are common to abundant in their natural habitat, and the species is nowhere under threat.
Nevertheless, since the initial harvest of emus from the wild in Western Australia and Queensland,
harvesting and ranching of emus is now prohibited in all states. Regulations relating to emu farming are
aimed at preventing birds being taken from the wild, but the industry believes that this is not a significant
issue because there is little incentive to remove birds from the wild as the cost of stock at the moment is
very low. Even if stock prices were high, industry representatives believe that there are too many risks
associated with introducing wild birds into domesticated stock for farmers to consider this an option.
More important, in fact, is the potential for overstocked or bankrupt farmers to release their stock into
the bush, although this is prohibited as a condition of licence. [36]
10.33 The Emu Association of Queensland believes that there is no place in the industry for wild
harvesting of emus. The main reason for this is that 'some of the worst tasting native harvested meat in
Australia is emu'. [37] Other emu producers believe that wild harvesting is not necessary as there are
now sufficient stocks in captivity. [38]
10.34 In some areas, emus occur in very high numbers and cause damage to crops and fences. In the
Murchison area of Western Australia, for example, emu populations explode at some times of the year
and they gather along the emu proof fence in search of food in neighbouring wheatbelt areas. In a
weakened state, the birds cause damage to vegetation, which results in soil erosion. Culling of these
emus is sometimes carried out under licence but, in the opinion of the Mid West Development
Commission, 'it would be more practical to use the birds for an economic purpose, thus ensuring proper
handling and humane slaughtering practices'. [39]
Animal Welfare
10.35 According to the Emu Producers Association of Victoria, the emu has proven to be a species that
has adapted well to being farmed, 'showing no evident signs of wishing to escape, or to seek
nourishment other than that provided by the pasture and the supplementary feeds that have been
specifically manufactured to provide the emu with the replacement of the natural bush foods'. [40]
Farmed emus have adapted to a wide range of environments, from the dry outback to the moist cold
areas of Victoria and Tasmania. Some emu farmers, such as Mr Peter Thompson of Tjuringa Emu
Products, have already commenced selecting for domestication by eliminating birds from the breeding
stock which are unable to settle in a captive environment. [41]
10.36 However, the AWPC, Animal Liberation (ACT) and ANZFAS argued that the husbandry in the
emu industry was inhumane and provided critiques of the practices used. [42] In these submissions, the
following issues were noted:
- farmed emus were confined in spaces completely unnatural to fast-moving, nomadic birds,
denying them the ability to move freely around;
- males were denied their most powerful need to brood and protect their eggs;
- males were denied the opportunity to lose the fat they had accumulated in preparation for
brooding;
- emus were unable to escape from aggressively protective males;
- pelleted feeds denied farmed emus the variety of foods demanded by their instincts;
- chicks suffered leg weakness because of their artificially increased weight;
- chicks were kept at high densities and denied their instinctive need to follow the male around;
- emus were stressed by transportation and often suffered bruising in unsuitably designed transport
containers;
- the selective breeding of larger and more docile emus for farming was likely to result in
devaluation of the wild species and considerable threats to wild populations should captive-bred
birds be accidentally or deliberately released in to the wild; and
- emu farming was moving towards high intensity production akin to battery-hen 'factories'.
10.37 The RSPCA is also opposed to the farming of emus on the basis that present practices relating to
confinement, transport and slaughter are likely to cause distress or suffering to the animals concerned.
However, recognising that an industry is already in existence, the RSPCA recommended that emu
farming be regulated through a system of licensing incorporating a Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
Code of Practice which would enable monitoring of animal welfare practices within the industry. [43]
Toe Clipping
10.38 The most controversial aspect of emu welfare is toe clipping (removal of the first phalange). This
procedure is carried out when chicks are 1-3 days old and is aimed at reducing injuries caused by
fighting during the mating period which later affect hide quality. To produce A or B-grade leather, skins
must be taken from emus which have been declawed. [44] If toe-clipping is not carried out, tanned hides
can still be produced but they are generally of a low or non-commercial grade. [45]
10.39 In Victoria, the practise is neither banned nor promoted; the Emu Producers Association had no
guidelines on the matter and were waiting for scientific advice before making any further decision. [46]
Animal Liberation (Victoria) believes that de-clawing is 'widely practiced' and that 'at present emu farms
are surviving but they are doing so at the expense of birds'. [47] Although a Code of Practice exists,
Animal Liberation argued that emu farmers 'run the system' and 'only care about increasing the quality
and quantity of their products'. [48]
10.40 In Western Australia, the Government sees it as a necessary farming management practice and
has applied to have it included in the animal welfare code of practice. While acknowledging that the
practice was 'not very pleasant', that there were animal welfare concerns about it and that it set back
emu chicks about a day and a half in terms of establishing their ability to feed, it was thought that the
amount of stress that it imposed on a chick was 'minimal'. More significantly, the impact that the practice
had on the ability to return high-grade leather was important. When emus were not toe-clipped, less than
25 percent of the skins were A or B-grade, whereas when the practice was carried out over 80 per cent
were in those categories. The Western Australian Government recommended that the procedure be
carried out immediately the chick had hatched and that it be done with a hot blade which would
cauterise the wound. [49]
10.41 In South Australia, the practice is 'actively pursued' by a number of farmers and the SA Emu
Farming Consultative Committee has recently allocated a grant to two university researchers to study the
practice. According to Mr Frank Dal Piva of DENR:
What we are trying to … determine whether in fact the practice is humane or not and provide some sort
of guidance to the industry. If the research project indicates that there is any cruelty involved to the
animals, then we will be recommending to the industry that the practice ceases. Conversely, if it is an
acceptable practice, then we will advertise in the industry that it is quite acceptable to toe dock at a
certain time. [50]
10.42 And according to the Victorian Emu Industry Development Committee:
The [researchers] are also investigating alternative farming practices which have an effect on flock size
and peer group pressure: a whole range of things to try to restrict infighting. They are looking at
evaluating it on the animal so that it can be included in the code of practice; that is why Tasmania will not
endorse it. No state will endorse it until it has been proven. [51]
10.43 In Tasmania, the AWAC has considered the practice of toe clipping and came to the conclusion
that until there was scientific evidence to confirm that the practise was of benefit to the industry, and to
the animal, it was unable to endorse it. [52] When questioned in evidence about the decision, Associate
Professor Robert White, Chairman of the AWAC, explained:
In general terms, the committee does not support the mutilation of animals. However, … the clause
refers to reasonable or necessary procedures. Some procedures which are used on animals may be
painful or stressful, but they may lead to a longer term advantage or benefit to the animal. Although
practices like the docking of sheep tails and the mulesing of lambs are stressful to the animal, they
alleviate the longer term problems which the animals may experience through fly strike.
The request to remove the main phalanx from the toe, or part of the toe, of emus was presented as being
of benefit to the animals in that they would not attack each other or that they would do less damage if
they did attack each other. We were not convinced by that evidence. We thought it was basically a
procedure to make for easier management of the animals rather than for any welfare benefit to the
individual emus. This, as is done with all other items, is kept under review. If further evidence comes out,
we will revisit it. [53]
Regulatory Requirements and Difficulties
10.44 Emu farming in Western Australia is carried out under regulations controlled by the Department of
Conservation and Land Management (CALM). The birds are farmed under a license issued by CALM.
They must be slaughtered at facilities approved by the Department of Primary industries and Energy
(WA), in conjunction with the federal Department of Primary Industry and AQIS. To trade in skins, the
producer must hold a CALM license and each animal skin must carry an identification tag purchased
from CALM at the time of processing. The Department keeps a record of the number of birds farmed
by each primary producer and the number processed. Quotas for processing are also controlled by
CALM.
10.45 When skins are sent to Victoria for tanning an export permit must be issued by CALM and an
import permit issued by National Parks in Victoria. Export permits from Victoria and import permits
from NSW are then required for shipment of the leather to Sydney for manufacture into products.
Export permits from NSW and import permits to WA are required to ship the finished products back to
Perth. Finally, to send the products to overseas markets, export permits must be issued both by CALM,
because the product is no longer a raw skin, and by the Commonwealth through Environment Australia
under the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982. The latter takes about
two weeks and will only be provided if the original CALM documentation proving source is given. While
this process ensures that the produce comes from a captive-bred source, it involves a considerable
amount of paperwork, some of which is duplicated. [54]
10.46 In Queensland emu producers currently face a number of regulatory problems. To farm emus
there is a considerable burden of compliance and cost in license fees. In that state, over-cautious
regulations relating to the movement of hides from place to place cause emu producers unnecessary cost
and effort: while a fully tanned hide does not require a movement tag, the same hide at the prior wet-blue
stage does. The Emu Association of Queensland suggests that it is 'completely unnecessary to take
wildlife protection this far'. [55] It appears inequitable to emu producers that there are no licensing
requirements for ostriches but there are for emus. Thus while emus farmers must hold at least 50 emus,
must pay licence fees and must own or lease a sizeable area of land, ostrich owners do not. Emu
producers fear that unnecessary regulation will impede their industry, while its competitor proceeds
unregulated. [56]
10.47 Variations between states in many aspects of regulation also cause problems in the emu industry.
These include: licence fees, minimum stock size, number of birds allowable and types of tags. The emu
industry would like to see standardised codes of practice which take into account operator safety as well
as bird welfare. Their primary concerns are in the areas of toe clipping, transportation, handling facilities
and on-farm slaughter. The need for a national approach to regulatory requirements was argued by Mr
Graeme Ison, Managing Director of Yellabiddy Marketing Pty Ltd in Perth:
… now that we farm emus nationally, then surely we can develop a national scheme to allow us to send
skins from here to Victoria to be tanned, and New South Wales to be manufactured, to send it back
here. Surely we do not have to get import-export permits, intrastate ones, every time we want to shift
the product around domestically. We could simplify it a lot with the state bodies just having a source
document to say, yes, the product was sourced, as CALM does here for us, from a licensed emu farm,
and that document then is enough to satisfy all the other states. The fact that we have to apply to each
state to say that here is a document,to get a document from them,and then vice versa to get it back out
of that state, to get it back to Western Australia, is just ludicrous. Then to export it we go through the
whole scenario again … I think 17 documents was our record. We had to get 17 different documents to
export a product. [57]
Industry Potential
10.48 The emu industry in Australia has now moved from the initial breeding phase (where stocks are
built up and sold to other breeders), to the second phase of processing and market development.
According to RIRDC, the current farm-gate value for the industry is between $6 to $8 million. [58] The
commercial success of the industry now very much depends on the ability to find markets and the value
that those market place on products. In this, Australia will face considerable competition from similarly
emerging markets in America, China, France and New Zealand. One advantage that Australia may have
is its superior gene pool and the possibility that stock overseas have inferior oil qualities. [59] It is also
possible that superior meat and oil qualities are a function of diet and that native Australian grasses and
shrubs give emu products their 'unique' characteristics. [60] In addition, the industry is very fragmented
in America, being based primarily on hobby-farms with an average herd size of less than 15 birds. [61]
10.49 Unfortunately, in some sectors of the industry in Australia, processing and marketing has lagged
behind production and there is a shortage of cash flow brought on by an oversupply of product and the
need for farmers to continue to feed their stock. [62] Until recently the industry has been severely
hampered by the lack of AQIS accredited facilities for the slaughter and processing of carcasses. The
recent opening of an AQIS approved facility at Cherbourg Aboriginal Community at Murgon has
assisted, but it is still more expensive to slaughter emus than other animals. The Emu Association of
Queensland suggests that there is a major need to investigate ways of getting these costs reduced. [63]
New purpose-built slaughter facilities have recently been constructed in Victoria. [64]
10.50 The Emu Association of Queensland believes that despite current oversupply of stock and
products, the industry should be supported for the following reasons:
- the emu is an endemic species and symbolically Australian;
- the industry is one in which Aboriginal people can readily be involved;
- the industry allows people to support a viable agricultural activity on small areas of land;
- because of the need for shade, emu farming is much more compatible with landcare;
- it is a red meat alternative that is a more efficient feed converter than sheep or cattle;
- in addition to meat and hide, emu oil is a valuable product which has vast potential; and
- the species is relatively disease free, and totally free of the serious diseases that afflict sheep and
cattle industries (mad cow disease, foot and mouth, ovine johnes, etc).
10.51 The success of the emu industry in Australia depends now very much on the degree to which
markets are pursued. For meat products this will mean penetrating both domestic and export markets.
Australia currently produces some 2,700 ktonnes of red-meat of which about 50% is exported. If emu
meat were to penetrate the domestic market by only one per cent, it would amount to 11 ktonnes or
784,285 emus. This would double if emu producers could capture one per cent of the export market as
well. [65]
10.52 However, there is a difficulty in the marketing of emu meat overseas. Some countries, Belgium for
example, will not take orders of meat until Australian producers can assure them that supplies can be
met in large quantities over a long period. Although there are enough birds to supply the meat, the
commercial viability of emu production depends very much on realising profit from all three types of
product (meat sales cover only the processing costs for each bird which are currently around $75 each
[66]), and markets for the other two products have not yet been sufficiently well established to make
their contribution. [67]
10.53 For leather, this means finding top-end niche markets for designer clothing which will require
considerable exposure of its unique qualities to tanneries, international fashion houses and the public. For
oil this means resolving problems associated with quality. The potential for emu oil is largely unknown
but may be considerable given that the Environment Protection Authority USA is about to ban 117 of
the 125 industrial lubricants currently registered. Emu oil, being a natural product, would be a good
substitute for many of them and may be worth from $5 to $100 per litre depending on grade. [68]
Should reliable markets be found for all three products, the Emu Association of Queensland estimates
that the economic return per bird should be in the vicinity of $130, based on a total cost of $380 and a
total income of $510. [69]
10.54 The industry in Queensland supports a ban on the export of live animals or eggs to ensure that a
strong genetic base is retained in Australia. [70] However, this view is not shared by the Queensland
Government which claims that 'the present difficult situation could have been significantly eased if the
Federal Government regulations did not prevent the export of live emus and/or fertile eggs … [and that]
valuable export market opportunities were forgone'. [71] This view is shared by Mr A M Golding of
Little Meadows Emu Farm in Perth who believes that, given there are now so many emus overseas,
there is little point in retaining the ban and there may even be some advantage in exporting genetic
material to overseas businesses wanting to use Australian stock. [72]
10.55 According to the Emu Association of Queensland, for the industry to reach its full potential,
assistance is required in a number of areas:
- unification of the currently fractionated producer groups; [73]
- promotion of product domestically and internationally;
- collation of statistics;
- standardisation of codes of practice;
- a quality assessment system applicable to all areas of the industry; and
- implementation of a national levy system that would provide a funding base for future R&D. [74]
10.56 The Western Australian Government noted that some companies have invested considerable
effort in research and marketing, but that the overall results have been hampered by lack of coordination
and while sales of emu meat have been buoyant, sales of leather and oil have not. The Western
Australian Government predicts that there will be a shrinking of the industry in that state, followed by
growth when markets for oil and leather are secured. [75]
10.57 The South Australian Government also noted that industry development was hampered by a
piecemeal approach with several different groups each trying to develop quality assurance standards.
The South Australian Government recommended in its submission that assistance be given to help unify
the industry and to develop commercial markets for its products. The specific areas in need of
development were:
- quantification of marketing opportunities;
- products and pricing regimes;
- improved processing techniques and facilities;
- acceptable transport for both livestock and meat; and
- specialist tanning techniques. [76]
10.58 The Victorian Government also noted in its submission that there was lack of cohesion at the
nation level in the emu industry and that this had slowed development. Submissions by the industry for
Commonwealth Government assistance have been hampered by the industry's inability to reach
agreement on a national plan for development. [77]
Summary and Conclusions
10.59 The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is highly mobile and is distributed throughout Australia,
being common to abundant in its natural habitat. The species is nowhere under threat. It is a very large
bird, growing up to 2m in height and 50 kg in weight. Emu farming was pioneered in Western Australia
in 1970 and commercial interests developed slowly across Australia in the 1980s. There are now emu
farms in all states of Australia, though none in the Northern Territory or ACT, and there are some 1330
licensed emu farms holding over 80,000 emus.
10.60 The farming of emus is currently going through a phase of considerable expansion. Three main
product lines are marketed: meat and, to a lesser extent, hide (leather) and oil. Emu meat is low in fat
and is at the high end of the gourmet food line. Emu leather is fine, supple and easy to work and retains a
unique and attractive patterning. It is ideally suited for garment manufacture. A major problem in the emu
industry is the recovery of high quality unblemished skins to make A-grade leather. Emu oil, refined from
fat, has a number of domestic and light industrial uses including pharmaceutical, cosmetic, health care,
veterinary, and aerospace applications. Interstate and overseas exports from the industry over the last
decade have fluctuated considerably, reflecting problems associated with product marketing.
10.61 Since the initial harvest of emus from the wild in Western Australia and Queensland, harvesting
and ranching of wild birds are now prohibited in all states. Environmental regulations relating to emu
farming are aimed at preventing birds being taken from the wild and the dumping of excess stock, or
stock from failed businesses back into the wild.
10.62 The emu has proved to be a species that has adapted well to being farmed. However, a number
of non-government, animal welfare organisations expressed concerns about husbandry practices in the
industry. These concerns primarily related to the confinement of adult birds in small areas and the
practice in some states of de-clawing chicks, carried out to prevent injuries in adult birds and thus
improve hide quality.
10.63 The emu industry has moved from an initial phase of stock expansion to a phase of processing
and market development. The current farm-gate value for the industry is between $6 to $8 million. The
commercial success of the industry now very much depends on the ability to find markets and the value
which those markets place on the products. However, the industry is characterised by a number of large
individual organisations which are vertically integrated and are separately targeting their own markets. In
some sectors, processing and marketing has lagged behind production and there is a shortage of cash
flow brought on by an oversupply of product. The success of the emu industry in Australia depends now
very much on the degree to which markets are pursued. Until recently the industry has been severely
hampered by the lack of AQIS accredited facilities for the slaughter and processing of carcasses. Other
major problems encountered by industry include an excess of administrative procedures and variations
between states in many aspects of government regulation which combine to considerably hinder business
efficiency.
10.64 The Committee concludes that the emu industry is now at a critical point in its
development. Production has expanded considerably over the last 10 years and there is now a strong
base of stock held in closed-cycle breeding enterprises over six states. Market development, however,
has lagged especially in the areas of quality leather production and oil analysis and refining. These two
areas are critical to the overall economic success of the industry. The Committee believes that the
emu industry is worthy of continued government support.
Cherbourg Aboriginal Emu Farm & Abattoir
A large emu farm was established by the Aboriginal community at Cherbourg in 1987, with the
assistance of the Cherbourg Aboriginal Council and the Queensland Government. The Government
provided a licence for the enterprise to collect from the wild on a one-off basis, 300 young emus (aged
3-5 months) as foundation stock. Since that time 120 breeding pens have been constructed which hold 4
breeding pairs each. By August 1997, the farms held some 2500 adult and juvenile birds. All eggs are
artificially incubated and the farm's two large incubators have a total capacity of 2160 eggs.
In addition to the emu farm, an AQIS export-accredited abattoir was built by the Council at Cherbourg
in 1995, with the assistance of funding through Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP)
and ATSIC. The abattoir employs 20 permanent Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff, plus 10 casual
Aboriginal workers on CDEP. Emu products are sent to other Aboriginal communities and to the
gourmet food market. However, because markets for emu products have been slow in developing,
particularly for oil and leather, the abattoir has diversified into ostrich and deer. Although not yet
profitable, the project is expected to become so in the near future.
Footnotes
[1] Submission No. 126, p. 1.
[2] Submission No. 196, p. 1, Submission No. 171, p. 1, Bureau of Resource Sciences Commercial
use of wild animals in Australia, by Brian J Ramsay, AGPS Canberra, 1994, ISBN 0644297751.
[3] Submission No. 196, p. 2; Evidence, pp. RRA&T 453, 468.
[4] Submission No. 196, p. 2.
[5] Submission No. 196, p. 3.
[6] Evidence, p. RRA&T 140.
[7] Submission No. 50, p. 2.
[8] Submission No. 50, pp. 2-3.
[9] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1032.
[10] Evidence, p. RRA&T 196, p. 7.
[11] Submission No. 50, p. 4.
[12] Evidence, p. RRA&T 456, Submission No. 50, p. 4.
[13] Submission No. 171, p. 2.
[14] Evidence, p. RRA&T 456, Submission No. 50, p. 4.
[15] Submission No. 50 p. 3.
[16] Submission No. 96, p. 3.
[17] Evidence, pp. RRA&T 1028, 1030.
[18] Submission No. 171, p. 1.
[19] Submission No. 50, p. 3.
[20] Evidence, p. RRA&T 447.
[21] Submission No. 126, p. 5.
[22] Submission No. 123, p. 2.
[23] Evidence, p. RRA&T 77.
[24] Submission No. 123, p. 2.
[25] Submission No. 314, p. 2.
[26] Submission No. 191, p. 1.
[27] Submission No. 191, p. 4.
[28] Submission No. 314, p. 3.
[29] Submission No. 314, p. 3.
[30] The Code of Management for the Farming of Emus in South Australia, Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, South Australia, April 1994.
[31] Evidence, p. RRA&T 545.
[32] Submission No. 318, p. 22.
[33] Submission No. 318, p. 22.
[34] Submission No. 338, p. 6.
[35] Australian Nature Conservation Agency Development of National Guidelines to Address
Conservation Issues in the Emu Industry: Progress Report to Standing Committee on
Conservation, September 1995.
[36] Submission No. 196, p. 9; see also Evidence, p. RRA&T 520.
[37] Submission No. 196, p. 10.
[38] Submission No. 171, p. 1.
[39] Submission No. 194, p. 2.
[40] Submission No. 191, p. 2.
[41] Evidence, p. RRA&T 142.
[42] Submission No.s 93, 66 & 178 respectively.
[43] Submission No. 169, p. 5.
[44] Evidence, p. RRA&T 451.
[45] Evidence, p. RRA&T 456.
[46] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1034.
[47] Submission No. 87, p. 9.
[48] ibid.
[49] Evidence, p. RRA&T 444-5.
[50] Evidence, p. RRA&T 551.
[51] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1035.
[52] Evidence, p. RRA&T 905.
[53] Evidence, p. RRA&T 916.
[54] Submission No. 50, pp. 6-7.
[55] Letter dated 28 July 1997 from Mr Peter Thomson, Spokesperson for the Emu Association of
Queensland, to The Secretary, Senate Rural & Regional Affairs & Transport Committee.
[56] Submission No. 196, p. 10.
[57] Evidence, p. RRA&T 457.
[58] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1118.
[59] Submission No. 191, p. 3.
[60] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1033, Submission No. 143.
[61] Evidence, p. RRA&T 1031.
[62] Submission No. 196, p. 1.
[63] Submission No. 196, p. 4.
[64] Note: Some overseas countries require imported game meat to be slaughtered at single purpose
abattoirs.
[65] Submission No. 196, pp. 6-7.
[66] Submission No. 338, 6.
[67] Evidence, p. RRA&T 450.
[68] Submission No. 196, p. 7.
[69] Submission No. 196, p. 8.
[70] Submission No. 196, p. 9.
[71] Submission No. 123, p. 2.
[72] Evidence, p. RRA&T 469.
[73] Mr Ison of Little Meadows Emu Farm in Western Australia also commented that the emu industry
is fractionised and would benefit from more cohesion in its activities and direction (Evidence, p. RRA&T
464).
[74] Submission No. 196, p. 10.
[75] Submission No. 126, p. 4.
[76] Submission No. 318, p. 21.
[77] Submission No. 314, p. 4.