The head of one of New Zealand’s largest exporters of Ostrich products, Ostex Corporation, has predicted better times ahead for the national industry, citing an expected slump in exports by its two main rivals of South Africa and Australia.
In an interview last week, company director and livestock manager Peter Hishon said that despite the current poor return on European meat sales and the strong New Zealand dollar, the outlook for the industry was extremely positive. This was mainly due to the large scale slaughter of breeding stock undertaken in South Africa last season, to take advantage of European consumer's aversion to beef in the wake of the FMD crisis, and the expected low kill in Australia this season.
Mr Hishon added that his company had also coped better with the recent fall-off in European meat prices than it otherwise might due to its policy of developing a spread of markets outside Europe, and initiating long-term supply contracts with overseas buyers. This had enabled Ostex to maintain its schedule to growers at NZ$7.10 per kg for carcasses above 44kg. The success of this policy was evidenced by the strong relationship the company had established with a major Asian leather manufacturing company, Mr Hishon said.
