www.outlookindia.com | Emulate A Curry!

Kumar R. S.

Birdy Boom: V. Rangaswamy's emu-breeding farm in Erode district of Tamil Nadu

livestock: Emu farms

Emulate A Curry!

The Australian emu is being bred in India for its meat and other healthful properties

Pushpa Iyengar

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All In An Emu's Life

Emus are members of the ratite family along with ostrich, rhea, cassowary and kiwi. They cannot fly, can run at speeds up to 50 km per hour.
Wings are only 1/10th the length of its body
Emus grow to be 5-6 feet tall, weigh 50-65 kg and live up to 40 years
They become sexually mature at 2-3 years of age
The male waits till the female lays at least 9 eggs, then starts incubating them
When the chicks hatch, the males drive the females away and attack anybody who approaches the chicks
Emus can be productive for 20 years, laying 20-50 eggs in a season
They require 6-10 ltrs of clean water daily
They need to be fed three times a day

***

Move over chicken curry and mutton bhuna. The emu may soon hit our dining tables in a big way. This large bird of Australian origin, which offers the fat-free, healthful qualities of white meat and the flavoursome taste of red meat, is proliferating in emu breeding centres in Tamil Nadu, AP, Goa, Maharashtra, even Orissa and MP.

"It's very tasty and my mother uses her mutton recipes to cook emu meat," says Shivshankar, who helps his father, V. Rangasamy of Shri Kalaa Emu Farms in Nathakattupalayam, 25 km from Erode.

Rangasamy's farm is spread over four acres and has three paddocks in which 150 emus strut around, while most other farms in the area typically have 3-10 pairs which have mostly come from Rangasamy's hatchery. The birds weigh 50-65 kg each and are 5-6 feet tall.

So why would farmers look for this new source of livelihood? Rangasamy has a story that will resonate among the 200 emu farmers in the state—that agriculture is labour-intensive and farm labour is increasingly migrating to the spinning and textile mills that have mushroomed here in the last couple of years to feed the garment hub in nearby Tiruppur. Besides, farmers are not getting minimum support price for their products, forcing them to look for other options.

Rangasamy tried his hand at aquaculture in coastal Thoothikudi in 1997 but lost badly, like other prawn farmers all over India. Hoping to recover the lost Rs 22 lakh, Rangasamy turned to emu breeding nine years ago. "I started out with a pair costing Rs 10,000 that I used to keep on the verandah," he recalls, as he looks around his farm which now includes an incubator where 1,200 oval-shaped, green eggs the size of your palm are rotating slowly. "They take about 52 days to hatch," he says as he fields inquiries from a host of people visiting him.

But widespread availability of emu meat in our neighbourhood butcher shops is not quite a reality yet. "Most emu farmers in India are traders and only interested in eggs. They simply want to sell, sell, sell," says Dr N. Ramamurthy, professor, Livestock Research Station, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Services University. With a three-month pair of chicks costing as much as Rs 15,000, many emu farmers are still not willing to kill the golden goose, although in this instance, there's more money to be made by slaughtering the bird if they all get together and organise themselves to start a processing unit. Tamil Nadu's emu farms are located in Erode, Trichy, Polladam, Pudukottai, Wallajahbad, Kodaikanal and even Pondicherry.

"It's a big venture with a huge growth potential," says Dr N. Ramamurthy, who went to Brisbane, Australia, to study the bird. But he adds that emu farmers need to get more professional and breed much more scientifically. "Diseases are not managed properly—accommodation specificity is not followed," he adds. "Emus are hardy birds and are even immune to bird flu, but have to be protected from other specific diseases including encephalitis," he says.

"There is a lot of in-breeding that causes diseases," agrees Lakshman D. Reddy, creative and operations director of Flightless Bird India, near Tuni in AP. He has over 20,000 birds on his 60-acre farm that he started 10 years ago, and describes his enterprise as "the mother farm for all of India". Says Reddy, "There will be a big shortage of red meat in the years to come and emu is the best substitute." It contains only 30-40 mg of cholesterol-causing fat in 100 gm of meat, as opposed to all other red meat where the fat content is double. "At the moment, emu meat costs anywhere between Rs 300-750 per kg which makes it expensive, but once a processing unit is in place, the meat will come down to Rs 200 per kg," he says.

With a little faith, emu farmers can sit back and count their money, if they get together to promote emu meat in households as well as hotel menus. With growing awareness of eating healthy, emu meat is sure to be in demand. Also, with the increasing acceptability of alternate medicine, emu oil (removed from the fat deposited below the surface of the skin) containing the pain-relieving oleic acid, and believed to be good for arthritis, has huge commercial potential. Even leather products from emu skin, made on a pilot basis by the Central Leather Research Institute, were showcased at Delhi's Pragati Maidan some years ago to great acclaim.

The emu is a hardy bird that survives all climates—whether it is farmed in Australia, the US, China or India. With feed costing Rs 12 a kg, the emu costs Rs 3,000 per year as opposed to turkey which weighs less but eats more. But unlike China, where breeding is well-organised and the emu is ubiquitous—as meat on the table, as oil with curative properties, as shoes/handbags in hi-fashion stores—India's emu industry is still in its infancy. With nabard giving loans, emu farmers should have it better.

Vellipurcethsapalayam, four km away from Shri Kalaa Emu Farms, is where 30-year-old Manimeghalai, along with her husband, has 20 birds. Her poultry farm is down by one because one of the hens got in through the fence and got pecked to death by an emu. "They are very aggressive towards other animals and even use their strong legs to administer a sound kick to any intruder. They are wary of human strangers (emitting guttural sounds) but almost like dogs when it comes to demonstrating affection to someone they know," says Shivshankar, whose entry into the emu enclosure is greeted with all of them prancing back and forth in excitement.

Emu as man's best friend? Worth considering if you have acres of land and want it protected from intruders.

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Filed In Topics: Food: More Than The Daily Bread, Pushpa Iyengar

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Dec 04, 2007 12:00 AM 12	I may be late with this reply as this article has moved off the front page. In any case here are some points for Adi and Sathyamurthi to consider. Sathyamurthi, Thank you for your response and for clearing up my doubts on the religious issue. On the question of hygiene, I agree with you that a lot more needs to be done to make food products safe in India. However, this is not limited to meats, vegetables and grains in India have a lot of pesticides on them and in them. Even though animals also get contaminated with these, their digestive process acts as a filter. Then again their tissue may accumulate these toxins. So I do not know whether meat or vegetables are safer in India - it would be a worthwhile study. Food safety in India isn't simply an issue for meat eaters. Germs in meat or vegetables can be destroyed if cooked thoroughly, but the pesticides on something like spinach (or inside meat) doesn't go away even with washing. Just today the New York Times has an article on how chemical contamination is causing genetic mutations in the Punjab. Adi, The article you mention is good. I do agree that there is a lot of waste and excessive production in the US. However, India needs to go in the opposite direction - we need to increase production through increased productivity. This would mean better livelihood for our farmers as there will be a market for their grain. This need not mean less food safety. Both can be achieved simultaneously. In fact, I would say, they go hand in hand. Better fed and richer farmers would be better educated and so better able to follow good farming techniques. Along the same lines - more roads in India would improve traffic safety whereas more driving in the US will increase road fatalities. A few quick points about the article - (1) Livestock do not consume the same grains that we do (in the US farmers feed corn, in India livestock farming will produce markets for poorer grains like bajra, jowar and grasses), (2) We do need to find alternative fuels - all our economic activity needs to move away from fossil fuels not just agriculture (again, a better fed, healthier, richer population would find and implement such alternatives more easily - aren't we right now depending upon the West to find such technology and give it to us). (3) More water consumption only means more water circulation and need for treatment (water doesn't disappear). It only means more energy consumption which brings us to point 2 above. I am not suggesting that we try livestock farming in Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, Vidarbha, Telangana by bringing water there. But rather we could do this in UP, Bihar, WB, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Assam where water is not a problem and economic growth is badly needed. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Dec 01, 2007 12:00 AM 11	Ashish, A meat vs. plant argument should also include a discussion on which diet is more efficient and eco-friendly. Here are a few points from an article I found on the web regarding feeding animals and consuming them which is in effect what you are proposing. http://www.news.cornell...ug97/livestock.hrs.html EIGHT MEATY FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL FOOD From "Livestock Production: Energy Inputs and the Environment" By David Pimentel -- WHERE'S THE GRAIN? The 7 billion livestock animals in the United States consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the entire American population. -- HERBIVORES ON THE HOOF. Each year an estimated 41 million tons of plant protein is fed to U.S. livestock to produce an estimated 7 million tons of animal protein for human consumption. About 26 million tons of the livestock feed comes from grains and 15 million tons from forage crops. For every kilogram of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed nearly 6 kg of plant protein. -- FOSSIL FUEL TO FOOD FUEL. On average, animal protein production in the U.S. requires 28 kilocalories (kcal) for every kcal of protein produced for human consumption. Beef and lamb are the most costly, in terms of fossil fuel energy input to protein output at 54:1 and 50:1, respectively. Turkey and chicken meat production are the most efficient (13:1 and 4:1, respectively). Grain production, on average, requires 3.3 kcal of fossil fuel for every kcal of protein produced. The U.S. now imports about 54 percent of its oil; by the year 2015, that import figure is expected to rise to 100 percent. -- THIRSTY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. U.S. agriculture accounts for 87 percent of all the fresh water consumed each year. Livestock directly use only 1.3 percent of that water. But when the water required for forage and grain production is included, livestock's water usage rises dramatically. Every kilogram of beef produced takes 100,000 liters of water. Some 900 liters of water go into producing a kilogram of wheat. Potatoes are even less "thirsty," at 500 liters per kilogram. -- HOME ON THE RANGE. More than 302 million hectares of land are devoted to producing feed for the U.S. livestock population -- about 272 million hectares in pasture and about 30 million hectares for cultivated feed grains. -- DISAPPEARING SOIL. About 90 percent of U.S. cropland is losing soil -- to wind and water erosion -- at 13 times above the sustainable rate. Soil loss is most severe in some of the richest farming areas; Iowa loses topsoil at 30 times the rate of soil formation. Iowa has lost one-half its topsoil in only 150 years of farming -- soil that took thousands of years to form. -- PLENTY OF PROTEIN: Nearly 7 million tons (metric) of animal protein is produced annually in the U.S. -- enough to supply every American man, woman and child with 75 grams of animal protein a day. With the addition of 34 grams of available plant protein, a total of 109 grams of protein is available per capita. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) per adult per day is 56 grams of protein for a mixed diet. -- OUT TO PASTURE. If all the U.S. grain now fed to livestock were exported and if cattlemen switched to grass-fed production systems, less beef would be available and animal protein in the average American diet would drop from 75 grams to 29 grams per day. That, plus current levels of plant-protein consumption, would still yield more than the RDA for protein. Adi XXXXX, USA
Dec 01, 2007 12:00 AM 10	Meat eating involves cruelty. One living thing eating another living thing is bestial. Dont say that tomatoes have life and they watch Ekta's soaps! pear mumbai, India
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 9	I thank Mr.Ashish for his rejoinder. Still I would like to say that it is not on religious basis that I wrote about the vegetarianism. It was not a disappointment to me but a surprise that of all the Brahmins, Iyengars are considered very conservative especially in the matter of diet. Even among the vegetables, certain categories like Onion, garlick, drumstick etc are shunned by them. In that context only I made a mention about the Author. In the Western countries, the animals are subjected to vigorous medical check-up and even after slaughter under hygienic conditions, kind of which we can not see in India, different parts of the animals are again checked by the Vet. Surgeons and stamped before they are processed for packing. Even under such rigorous checks, we notice contaminations and withdrawals of the meat products from the markets quiet often. I don't think that kind of standards of medical check-up are in practice in India. The danger is contaminated meat may even cause cancer besides innumerable health problems to those who consume them. Vegetables are, on the other hand, do not pose such problems. Any way I appreciate Mr.Ashish's efforts to defend Non Vegetarianism. T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 8	Sathyamurthi, You did mention how disappointed you were that an Iyengar was doing this story - I took it as a religious statement as would most people. As for the Time magazine article, there are several such claims from those pushing vegetarianism. Such claims naturally get a lot of support from Indians who are vegetarians for religious reasons. For a counter view please read " http://www.second-opini...n_herb_comparison.html" that I found through a google search. As for your comments on price, what I have said is that meat would be cheap if produced on a large scale. In the US, supermarket expenses for a meat based and vegetable based diets are similar - a balanced vegetarian diet may even be more expensive. A meat based balanced diet is tasty, simple and easy to achieve. The average Indian is poor with a poor diet. If produced on a large scale cheaply - meat would help remove deficiencies. As it is tasty we don't need to promote it. In a country such as India where 80-90% of the population or more would eat meat if they could, we shouldn't curtail the dietary choices of people, or prevent actions that would make their diets better. Policies and attitudes directed against the meat industry would impact on the health of our citizens, especially children. I am not suggesting that we force vegetarians to eat meat, just that the government and media shouldn't discriminate against the other 80-90% of the population which does so by choice. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 7	What I said has nothing to do with any religious belief. In fact the TIME magazine, years back published an article in one of it's issues which said that the Human digestive System is made suitable for consumption of vegetarian food only. The Author of that article specified that the blunted dental structure and the weak digestive juices in the human system are considered appropriate for consuming vegetable food only. There is a gradual awakening among the people to this fact evidently as people more and more are turning to vegetarianism. If vegetables are not cheap, so are the meat and meat products. Are they so cheap? T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Nov 29, 2007 12:00 AM 6	T.SATHYAMURTHI, Your comments seem to be driven by your religious viewpoint. People who eat meat should have the opportunity to do so freely. The media and government shouldn't discriminate against them. It may be possible to get all nutrients for a balanced diet from "vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds". However, contrary to popular belief in India, this is not cheap or easy. How cheap are almonds, cashews? Those who can manage a balanced diet without meat and afford it are certainly free to do so. However, meat consumption is a tasty, easy, (and if done on a large scale - cheap) way to achieve a balanced diet for the masses. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 29, 2007 12:00 AM 5	Pear, I am assuming you addressed your comment to me. As I mentioned in my previous comment, the western diet (especially in the US) has become more similar to the Indian diet over the past 30 years or so. This increased consumption of fried starchy foods has caused the increase in obesity. As for lean body mass, studies have indeed shown that for the same weight Americans have less body fat than Indians. Europeans, Australians, East Asians consume less fried starches and far more meat than Indians - they are certainly leaner and healthier. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 28, 2007 12:00 AM 4	The meat eaters of US are very lean? pear mumbai, India
Nov 28, 2007 12:00 AM 3	Of all the persons it is unfortunate that an Iyengar should take up an enthusiastic propagation for eating the flesh of Emu especially when Meat Eaters are progressively becoming Vegetarians! Vegetables, fruits,nuts and seeds provide all the nourishments that human beings require to lead a healthy life if they are consumed in a balanced manner. T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Nov 27, 2007 12:00 AM 2	Excellent article! Such farming should be encouraged across India. The Indian diet has very little protein content. This is bad, especially for children, as it stunts growth in the early years of life and leads to high body fat content later. Our diet has gone from rice to fried rice and from rotis to parathas in the past few years. This has added high rates of heart disease to the already high rates of diabetes. We erroneously call this "Westernization" of our diet. Their diet actually came closer to ours with increased use of fried grain based products and sweets. Higher lean meat consumption in India will displace carbohydrates and fats from our diets. That means better quality of life for all. And more fast bowlers too! Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 25, 2007 12:00 AM 1	Is there no limit to Man's cruelty. I am very disgusted by your article. Why should Outlook promote such horrible methods of Animal Farming? China is planning to have Tiger Farms for Meat and Tiger Parts? Do you support that also? How about Crcodile and Polar Bears for Meat? There is a limit to Man's Sadism and pleasure derived from slaughtering millions of innocent lives. V.Shrinivasan Bangalore, India

Nov 25, 2007 12:00 AM 1	Is there no limit to Man's cruelty. I am very disgusted by your article. Why should Outlook promote such horrible methods of Animal Farming? China is planning to have Tiger Farms for Meat and Tiger Parts? Do you support that also? How about Crcodile and Polar Bears for Meat? There is a limit to Man's Sadism and pleasure derived from slaughtering millions of innocent lives. V.Shrinivasan Bangalore, India
Nov 27, 2007 12:00 AM 2	Excellent article! Such farming should be encouraged across India. The Indian diet has very little protein content. This is bad, especially for children, as it stunts growth in the early years of life and leads to high body fat content later. Our diet has gone from rice to fried rice and from rotis to parathas in the past few years. This has added high rates of heart disease to the already high rates of diabetes. We erroneously call this "Westernization" of our diet. Their diet actually came closer to ours with increased use of fried grain based products and sweets. Higher lean meat consumption in India will displace carbohydrates and fats from our diets. That means better quality of life for all. And more fast bowlers too! Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 28, 2007 12:00 AM 3	Of all the persons it is unfortunate that an Iyengar should take up an enthusiastic propagation for eating the flesh of Emu especially when Meat Eaters are progressively becoming Vegetarians! Vegetables, fruits,nuts and seeds provide all the nourishments that human beings require to lead a healthy life if they are consumed in a balanced manner. T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Nov 28, 2007 12:00 AM 4	The meat eaters of US are very lean? pear mumbai, India
Nov 29, 2007 12:00 AM 5	Pear, I am assuming you addressed your comment to me. As I mentioned in my previous comment, the western diet (especially in the US) has become more similar to the Indian diet over the past 30 years or so. This increased consumption of fried starchy foods has caused the increase in obesity. As for lean body mass, studies have indeed shown that for the same weight Americans have less body fat than Indians. Europeans, Australians, East Asians consume less fried starches and far more meat than Indians - they are certainly leaner and healthier. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 29, 2007 12:00 AM 6	T.SATHYAMURTHI, Your comments seem to be driven by your religious viewpoint. People who eat meat should have the opportunity to do so freely. The media and government shouldn't discriminate against them. It may be possible to get all nutrients for a balanced diet from "vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds". However, contrary to popular belief in India, this is not cheap or easy. How cheap are almonds, cashews? Those who can manage a balanced diet without meat and afford it are certainly free to do so. However, meat consumption is a tasty, easy, (and if done on a large scale - cheap) way to achieve a balanced diet for the masses. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 7	What I said has nothing to do with any religious belief. In fact the TIME magazine, years back published an article in one of it's issues which said that the Human digestive System is made suitable for consumption of vegetarian food only. The Author of that article specified that the blunted dental structure and the weak digestive juices in the human system are considered appropriate for consuming vegetable food only. There is a gradual awakening among the people to this fact evidently as people more and more are turning to vegetarianism. If vegetables are not cheap, so are the meat and meat products. Are they so cheap? T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 8	Sathyamurthi, You did mention how disappointed you were that an Iyengar was doing this story - I took it as a religious statement as would most people. As for the Time magazine article, there are several such claims from those pushing vegetarianism. Such claims naturally get a lot of support from Indians who are vegetarians for religious reasons. For a counter view please read " http://www.second-opini...n_herb_comparison.html" that I found through a google search. As for your comments on price, what I have said is that meat would be cheap if produced on a large scale. In the US, supermarket expenses for a meat based and vegetable based diets are similar - a balanced vegetarian diet may even be more expensive. A meat based balanced diet is tasty, simple and easy to achieve. The average Indian is poor with a poor diet. If produced on a large scale cheaply - meat would help remove deficiencies. As it is tasty we don't need to promote it. In a country such as India where 80-90% of the population or more would eat meat if they could, we shouldn't curtail the dietary choices of people, or prevent actions that would make their diets better. Policies and attitudes directed against the meat industry would impact on the health of our citizens, especially children. I am not suggesting that we force vegetarians to eat meat, just that the government and media shouldn't discriminate against the other 80-90% of the population which does so by choice. Ashish K Cambridge, USA
Nov 30, 2007 12:00 AM 9	I thank Mr.Ashish for his rejoinder. Still I would like to say that it is not on religious basis that I wrote about the vegetarianism. It was not a disappointment to me but a surprise that of all the Brahmins, Iyengars are considered very conservative especially in the matter of diet. Even among the vegetables, certain categories like Onion, garlick, drumstick etc are shunned by them. In that context only I made a mention about the Author. In the Western countries, the animals are subjected to vigorous medical check-up and even after slaughter under hygienic conditions, kind of which we can not see in India, different parts of the animals are again checked by the Vet. Surgeons and stamped before they are processed for packing. Even under such rigorous checks, we notice contaminations and withdrawals of the meat products from the markets quiet often. I don't think that kind of standards of medical check-up are in practice in India. The danger is contaminated meat may even cause cancer besides innumerable health problems to those who consume them. Vegetables are, on the other hand, do not pose such problems. Any way I appreciate Mr.Ashish's efforts to defend Non Vegetarianism. T.Sathyamurthi Folsom, United States
Dec 01, 2007 12:00 AM 10	Meat eating involves cruelty. One living thing eating another living thing is bestial. Dont say that tomatoes have life and they watch Ekta's soaps! pear mumbai, India
Dec 01, 2007 12:00 AM 11	Ashish, A meat vs. plant argument should also include a discussion on which diet is more efficient and eco-friendly. Here are a few points from an article I found on the web regarding feeding animals and consuming them which is in effect what you are proposing. http://www.news.cornell...ug97/livestock.hrs.html EIGHT MEATY FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL FOOD From "Livestock Production: Energy Inputs and the Environment" By David Pimentel -- WHERE'S THE GRAIN? The 7 billion livestock animals in the United States consume five times as much grain as is consumed directly by the entire American population. -- HERBIVORES ON THE HOOF. Each year an estimated 41 million tons of plant protein is fed to U.S. livestock to produce an estimated 7 million tons of animal protein for human consumption. About 26 million tons of the livestock feed comes from grains and 15 million tons from forage crops. For every kilogram of high-quality animal protein produced, livestock are fed nearly 6 kg of plant protein. -- FOSSIL FUEL TO FOOD FUEL. On average, animal protein production in the U.S. requires 28 kilocalories (kcal) for every kcal of protein produced for human consumption. Beef and lamb are the most costly, in terms of fossil fuel energy input to protein output at 54:1 and 50:1, respectively. Turkey and chicken meat production are the most efficient (13:1 and 4:1, respectively). Grain production, on average, requires 3.3 kcal of fossil fuel for every kcal of protein produced. The U.S. now imports about 54 percent of its oil; by the year 2015, that import figure is expected to rise to 100 percent. -- THIRSTY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. U.S. agriculture accounts for 87 percent of all the fresh water consumed each year. Livestock directly use only 1.3 percent of that water. But when the water required for forage and grain production is included, livestock's water usage rises dramatically. Every kilogram of beef produced takes 100,000 liters of water. Some 900 liters of water go into producing a kilogram of wheat. Potatoes are even less "thirsty," at 500 liters per kilogram. -- HOME ON THE RANGE. More than 302 million hectares of land are devoted to producing feed for the U.S. livestock population -- about 272 million hectares in pasture and about 30 million hectares for cultivated feed grains. -- DISAPPEARING SOIL. About 90 percent of U.S. cropland is losing soil -- to wind and water erosion -- at 13 times above the sustainable rate. Soil loss is most severe in some of the richest farming areas; Iowa loses topsoil at 30 times the rate of soil formation. Iowa has lost one-half its topsoil in only 150 years of farming -- soil that took thousands of years to form. -- PLENTY OF PROTEIN: Nearly 7 million tons (metric) of animal protein is produced annually in the U.S. -- enough to supply every American man, woman and child with 75 grams of animal protein a day. With the addition of 34 grams of available plant protein, a total of 109 grams of protein is available per capita. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) per adult per day is 56 grams of protein for a mixed diet. -- OUT TO PASTURE. If all the U.S. grain now fed to livestock were exported and if cattlemen switched to grass-fed production systems, less beef would be available and animal protein in the average American diet would drop from 75 grams to 29 grams per day. That, plus current levels of plant-protein consumption, would still yield more than the RDA for protein. Adi XXXXX, USA
Dec 04, 2007 12:00 AM 12	I may be late with this reply as this article has moved off the front page. In any case here are some points for Adi and Sathyamurthi to consider. Sathyamurthi, Thank you for your response and for clearing up my doubts on the religious issue. On the question of hygiene, I agree with you that a lot more needs to be done to make food products safe in India. However, this is not limited to meats, vegetables and grains in India have a lot of pesticides on them and in them. Even though animals also get contaminated with these, their digestive process acts as a filter. Then again their tissue may accumulate these toxins. So I do not know whether meat or vegetables are safer in India - it would be a worthwhile study. Food safety in India isn't simply an issue for meat eaters. Germs in meat or vegetables can be destroyed if cooked thoroughly, but the pesticides on something like spinach (or inside meat) doesn't go away even with washing. Just today the New York Times has an article on how chemical contamination is causing genetic mutations in the Punjab. Adi, The article you mention is good. I do agree that there is a lot of waste and excessive production in the US. However, India needs to go in the opposite direction - we need to increase production through increased productivity. This would mean better livelihood for our farmers as there will be a market for their grain. This need not mean less food safety. Both can be achieved simultaneously. In fact, I would say, they go hand in hand. Better fed and richer farmers would be better educated and so better able to follow good farming techniques. Along the same lines - more roads in India would improve traffic safety whereas more driving in the US will increase road fatalities. A few quick points about the article - (1) Livestock do not consume the same grains that we do (in the US farmers feed corn, in India livestock farming will produce markets for poorer grains like bajra, jowar and grasses), (2) We do need to find alternative fuels - all our economic activity needs to move away from fossil fuels not just agriculture (again, a better fed, healthier, richer population would find and implement such alternatives more easily - aren't we right now depending upon the West to find such technology and give it to us). (3) More water consumption only means more water circulation and need for treatment (water doesn't disappear). It only means more energy consumption which brings us to point 2 above. I am not suggesting that we try livestock farming in Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, Vidarbha, Telangana by bringing water there. But rather we could do this in UP, Bihar, WB, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Assam where water is not a problem and economic growth is badly needed. Ashish K Cambridge, USA

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Dec 17, 2007

No Emulets?
Is there no limit to man’s cruelty (Emulate a Curry, Dec 3)? Why should Outlook promote such horrible methods of animal farming?
V. Shrinivasan, Bangalore

Excellent article! Such farming should be encouraged. Indian diet has very little protein content. This is bad for children, as it stunts growth and later leads to high body fat content. Higher lean meat consumption will displace carbohydrates and fats from our diets. It means better quality of life for all. And more fast bowlers too!
Ashish K., Cambridge, US

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6. Please do not copy and paste copyrighted material. If you think that an article on another site has relevance to the point you wish to make, please only quote what is considered "fair-use" and provide a link to the article under question.

7. There is no particular Outlookindia.com line on any subject. The views expressed in our opinion section are those of the author concerned and do not necessarily reflect the views of Outlookindia.com

8. Please also note that the sole responsibility for the comments posted on the site is that of the relevant registered user posting the comment. The comments could be deleted or edited entirely at our discretion if we find them objectionable. However, the mere fact of a comment's existence on our site does not mean that we necessarily approve of its contents. Outlookindia.com however, retains the right to publish any of these comments, with or without editing, in any medium whatsoever.

9.Outlookindia.com is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for how any search engine -- such as Google, Bing etc -- caches or displays the comments posted by you. Please note that you are solely responsible for posting these comments and it is a privilege being granted to our registered users which can be withdrawn in case of abuse. To reiterate:

a. Comments once posted can only be deleted at the discretion of outlookindia.com
b. The comments reflect the views of the authors and not of outlookindia.com
c. Outlookindia.com is not responsible in any manner whatsoever for the way search engines cache or display these comments
d. Please therefore take due caution before you post any comments as your words could potentially show up on search engines such as Google, Bing etc.

10. There is an online thread for our comments policy. You are welcome to post your suggestions here or in case you have a specific issue, to directly email us at Mail AT outlookindia DOT com with the subject header COMPLAINT.

We look forward to your feedback.