Grand Cypress Ranch, Inc.

RR1, Box 97B, Jacksonville, Illinois  62650

(217) 243-7683, 245-2919 (fax)

THIS WAS NEVER ANSWERED BY ANY  PERSON TO WHOM IT WAS SENT

September 27, 1996

Dear Friends,

Last weekend Brazilians had an opportunity to learn about ostrich and rhea farming at a 3 day course in Sao Paulo.  Representing the rhea was a Uruguayan, the largest producer and exporter of rhea products in the world, and me.  The ostrich was represented by a Brazilian who worked for 5 years on an ostrich farm in Australia and is currently importing day old chicks from Namibia.  The other speaker, Yani Kruger, from an ostrich farm in Redondo Beach(!), California, withdrew less than 24 hours before his scheduled talk. 

 Six hours into eight hours of speaking I was asked if I could speak another four hours the next day on ostrich.  Since the Brazilian organizers were greatly inconvenienced by Mr. Kruger, I felt I had no choice but to graciously accept the challenge and help them fill the program.  The organizer of the event, geneticist and veterinarian Professor Miriam Giannoni discussed some of her concerns and informational needs: accurate and relevant information to either substantiate or refute what the Brazilian media has been reporting.   I decided to speak on the rise and fall of the entire ratite industry in the United States, the probable impact of importation on the US ostrich market, the information in Myths and Facts About Ostrich and A Global Perspective of the Ostrich Industry, as well as general industry overview.  I included emu history for impact although the emu was not represented in this seminar and I doubt the Brazilians will embrace it to any great degree.

 The participants in the seminar were either scientists, veterinarians, or farmers with more than 10,000 hectares.  Professor Giannoni’s focus is rhea, although she has been asked to recommend the quarantine guidelines for importation of ostriches and emus into Brazil.  Her goals are to restrict diseases while keeping the animals healthy during quarantine, assuring Brazilians import the highest quality of breeding stock available, keeping the speculative element out of the Brazilian ratite market, and minimizing the negative impact of importation of large numbers of eggs of undocumented genetic history.  She questioned me at length on the strengths and weaknesses of the various countries that would be able to supply ostrich breeding stock to Brazil.  I was asked to review a Canadian proposal which was under consideration.  It appeared that the Canadian numbers were inflated by a factor of 6-9 times and the birds offered were “straight run” with no mention of breeding history.  A requested 3 week hands-on course in ostrich management carried a fee of $4,000 per person exclusive of living expenses, a price she deemed exorbitant.  She was finally convinced the United States could offer Brazilians superior selection, technical knowledge, genetics, and price advantage.

 Based on actual requests she is estimating an immediate demand for 8,000-10,000 birds, ages to be determined by quarantine rules.  She is seeking immediate input to help her devise quarantine rules and learn more specifics about the health risks of African birds. 

 Interested farms will be asked to supply histories on all birds offered, credit and legal histories may searched, customer references may be requested, and she has asked me, as an impartial observer to the ostrich industry, to examine contracts for fair pricing and birds before shipment if requested by the buyer.

 Please direct all inquiries directly to Professor Giannoni, since I have no financial interest in this matter.  Communication by e-mail or fax is preferred to minimize language difficulties. 

On October 7 Brazilians will be permitted to import ostriches and emus as livestock animals, so an immediate response to the request for the quarantine recommendations would be greatly appreciated by Professor Giannoni. 

E-Mail:  mlgiannoni@netsite.com.br

Fax: (Temporary) C/O Sueli Yngaunis

55 11 878-0628

I hope this can be of value to you.

 Sincerely,

Mrs. Donna Fezler

Fax to:

Pres. Sam Davis

Dr. John Wade

Dr. Karen Hicks

Mr. John Crawford

Mr. Andy Weilbrenner

Dr. Miriam Giannoni