Emu Producers: Prepare For Competitive Global Market
LAS VEGAS, Ncv. Clayton
Yeutter, former U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture, encouraged the emu
industry to “develop your own
product niche” and to prepare for
the “inevitable regulatory chal
lenges” and the emerging oppor
tunities in a more fairly structured
global agribusiness marketplace.
Yeutter who has held Cabinet
positions under three presidents,
keynoted the Sth annual meeting
of the American Emu Association.
About 1,300 emu ranchers and
fanners gathered at Bally’s Las
Vegas for the three-day conven
tion and exposition.
“GATT (General Agreement on
Trade & Tariffs), which focused
on unfair trade practices of other
nations in agriculture ... will
over the next six years ... move
agriculture to a free and open trade
environment on a global basis,” he
said. “That affects what we do
with our farm legislation in the
United States. We’ve got to re
duce ag (production) subsidies at
about 20 percent a year.
- “I believe this is a good thing.
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probably to your advantage. To
the degree that production subsid
ies hold the prices for grains, you
will benefit from lairing out that
artificial stimulant The fewer dis
tortions that are there in the way of
government export subsidies pro
grams around the world, the better
off we ate all going to be, particu
larly because die Europeans spend
a lot more money on meats than
we do.”
Yeutter, who holds a PH.D. in
agricultural economics, is “of
counsel” to a major law firm in
Washington, D.C. He said Con
gress now- “has to formulate a
1995 Farm Bill that will fit into
that overall global picture, be-
cause we are obligated by the
(GATT) agreement to do that.
“Frankly, I think we may have
one mote farm bill after this, and
early in the next century we will
see government essentially out of
# agriculture in the United States,”
he said. “Even though govern
ments may be out of die business
of artificially stimulating prices,
the marketplace may bring a price
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stimulus in itself.”
Yeutter, who recently chaired a
session on "Regional Accords and
a New World Order" at the World
Meat Congress in Denver, was in
strumental in steering the 1990
Farm Bill through Congress, mov
ing U.S. agriculture toward a mote
market-oriented policy structure.
He served as U.S. trade represen
tative and helped the 1988 Trade
Bill through Congress while
launching the 100-nation Uruguay
round of GATT negotiations
which led to the historic North
American Free Trade Agreement.
Yeutter predicted emu products
“will have a very successful niche
in the food markets of the United
States and the world. NAFTA
should help you in Mexico and
Canada,” to deliver a combined
(with U.S.) population of 400 mil
lion persons. “You should consid
er that your domestic marketplace.
“Health food is the niche you
are selling," with the heart
helathy, low fat red meat, he said.
“Those types of products are do
ing very, very well, and are just as
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big outside the United States.
Your industry may have more
than one niche: meat, oil, hides
(leather), feathers and others not
yet discovered.
“Get the necessary research re
sults to back-up what you are say
ing about your products in tarns
of healthcare. Support it with data
and the necessary research so you
can support your case at the local,
state, national and... to meet the
standards on a global basis.”
He also noted that the general
consensus is that the current world
population of 5.5 billion people
will be closer to 10 billion by the
year 2050, and most persons will
live longer. “Somebody is going
to have to produce an awful lot of
food to take care of the nutritional
needs of the world.”
“Regulatory challenges will be
a major issue for the next 10 to 30
years,” Yeutter said. ‘That’s re
grettable, but a fact of life today.
We have so many organizations
out there that are so well financed
today that they will file lawsuits to
challenge what you are doing. Re
cognize the challenge; minimize
the risk."
Yeutter said the emu industry
“clearly has one of advantage” in
producing a natural product with
out using growth hormones.
‘Take advantage of that from a
marketing standpoint Get the
emotionalism and sensationalism
out of this business and focus on
what is rational and objective,” he
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said.
Yeutiers praised “the enthusi
asm and energy of this crowd. The
leadership you have been able to
generate over a short period of
time is remarkable.” The industry
is less than 10 years old.
Emu raising is one of the fastest
growing, most dynamic agribusi
nesses in the nation, with a re
markable interest being shown in
ternationally, according to the
Dallas-based, nonprofit trade or
ganization which has 6,000 mem
bers.
In less than six years, this once
fledgling industry has grown to
mote than 10,000 families raising
an estimated 1.2 million to 1.5
million emus in 48 states, based
on a 1994 census. The AEA has
33 state chapters; an increasing
number of national and regional
cooperatives, and numerous re
search studies building a scientific
knowledge base on emus and their
products.
The convention continues
through Saturday at 4 p.m. with
the exhibit area open to the public
free of charge on Saturday after
noon. Everything from coopera
tives. incubators, ranches, jewelry
and artwork, to ratite publications,
software, fencing, feeds and fash
ions including leather swim
wear, jacket! and full-length west
ern duster are featured.
For free industry literature, call
the AEA at (800) 295-EMUS.