ISSUE No. 3

1. New Year Greetings
2. Communicating
3. Membership
4. Meat Standards
5. Chile Conference
6. Future Conferences
7. Meat Quality
8. Country Liaisons

 
1. New Year Greetings
A Very Happy and Prosperous 2003 to you all.
 
2. Communicating
The number one reason given for wishing to join this Association is for improved communication and to learn. Whilst your Board of Directors are in touch with many of the activities throughout the industry, we cannot possibly be everywhere. We have set up channels of communication and do encourage all members to please use these channels to communicate with each other.
 
It would be interesting for others if members could write a report from their own perspective or news from your own country. Either directly to the list or privately for inclusion in this newsletter. That will ensure that the newsletter carries more than the views of just one or two people.
 
3. Membership
Membership is increasing steadily and we now have members from 21 countries with a few more currently in the pipeline being processed...truly a World Association.
 
4. Meat Standards
The meat standards committee have been very busy and can report that they have recommended an Ostrich Carcass Grading System that has been approved by the Board of Directors. Full details can be found at http://www.world-ostrich.org As a result of points raised during the discussions on the Grading System, it became apparent that there was a need to quantify all the aspects that influence Meat Quality. 10 Major Areas were highlighted and the committee is now working on short definitions of these areas and these will be published shortly. These 10 areas are:
 
Farm Management
1. Age of animal
2. Management Systems
3. Nutrition
 
Handling and Slaughter Technique
4. Handling prior to slaughter
5. Slaughter techniques
6. Cold Chain during slaughter
 
Storage, Distribution and Display
7. Storage and maintenance of the cold chain during distribution
8. Method of storage
9. Method of display
 
Hygiene
10. Hygiene
 
When this is completed, next on the Agenda of the Meat Standards committee with be Yield Payment Systems and Muscle Identification. The latter is seen as extremely important given the many number of meat charts currently in use that are adding confusion to the industry.
 
5. Chile Conference
The program for the conference has been published, with bookings flowing in. Bookings can be made through the web site where full details of the conference can be found. Worthy of note is that
this will be the very first conference that we can all meet Daryl Holle outside the United States. The theme of the conference is "The Commercialisation of the Ostrich". The program is designed with emphasis on discussion, audience interaction, practical workshops, the economics of producing and processing Ostrich and markets and marketing.
 
We hope to see many of you in Chile
 
6. Future Conferences
Due to time constraints with the time required to produce the Standards, organise conferences and run their own businesses, the Board of Directors have made some changes to the future schedule of conferences. The next conference will be the AGM to be held in Spain during the latter part of the year - final date still to be decided. The first conference of next year will be held in Australia.
 
7. Meat Quality
During the past month or so a few of us have visited a number of slaughter and processing plants currently working with Ostrich. From all came a common message. Concern over achieving correct slaughter procedures and in particular correct bleed out; the huge variation in the meat yields and meat colour they are seeing, assuring the maintenance of the cold chain and taste. One processor and marketer we met stated that he was concerned doing meat tastings in view of the fact that he could not trust one bird to another to be consistent often having a livery taste to it. I asked him the question "if the meat were a better colour do you believe your sales would be far greater?" His answer was "without a doubt". He knew his customers want our meat - but they also are looking for it to be consistent and of an acceptable colour.
 
The speaker on meat marketing at the First World Ostrich Meat Congress held in 1997 in Oudtshoorn stated all these factors (and a few more) and put out a plea to the industry to get these factors sorted --- 6 years later this remains the major block to total consumer acceptance. How to overcome these problems will be covered at the Conference in Chile.
 
8. Become a Country Liaison
We are looking for one COUNTRY LIAISON per country to help with information gathering of ostrich production in their specific country.
 
The responsibilities of the COUNTRY LIAISON include reporting on ostrich events in their country, maintaining the WOA updated with the correct national ostrich industry details, information as to how a person can start an ostrich farm in their country and contact details of any ostrich magazines or newsletters. The post as a COUNTRY LIAISON is voluntary.
 
The COUNTRY LIAISON must be a fully paid up member of the WOA. If you are interested in becoming the COUNTRY LIAISON to the WOA for your own country, please contact the Liaison Committee at [email protected] with a short description of your ostrich activities todate.
 
Any comments or contributions please send either to this list at [email protected] or privately to
[email protected]