WINCHELSEA a small but dynamic town in Victoria's Western District, is carving out a name for itself in ostrich farming.
With fertile land, a favourable climate, and a growing interest in alternative livestock, Winchelsea offers farmers an opportunity to diversify their portfolios and capitalize on the burgeoning ostrich industry.
Ostrich farming is gaining traction worldwide because it is sustainable and profitable, said Michael Hastings who owns Hastings Ostrich Services.
These flightless birds are native to Africa, and adapt well to a range of climates, including Winchelsea's temperate conditions.
They are hardy creatures, requiring less water and feed compared to traditional livestock like cattle or sheep, making them an excellent option for resource-conscious farmers.
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Contrary to popular belief, an ostrich never buries its head in the sand but it is the fastest animal on two legs, travelling up to 70 kilometres an hour, and uses sand to digest its food.
Savvy farmers endorse these animals because of their low fat and cholesterol value as a red meat product, and an alternative to beef.
Ostrich leather is renowned for its durability and attractive patterns, and mainly used in high end fashion.
Their beautiful feathers are reminiscent of early last century when elegance reigned supreme.
Large feathers also lend themselves to décor, costumery and craft, a sophisticated alternative with a posh finish.
“The beauty of ostriches is that they have quite a range of products produced from that species, and don’t require a significant amount of land,” said Michael.
"The products are premium grade, so back when we started in 1989, the return of these birds was primarily leather, the Rolls-Royce of all leathers.
“As the markets evolved, people have recognised how good the meat is.
"A lot of people who can’t eat other red meats are able to eat ostrich.
"One of our big markets is in the USA where a lot of dietitians prescribed ostrich meat for people with heart conditions or allergies to normal red meats, and of course, it’s very tender.
“Three years ago, meat represented about 90 per cent return from our birds, from 25 per cent in 1989 to 90 per cent in recognition of how good ostrich meat is.
"Back in 1995 there were 2,000 small ostrich farms.
"They was a domestic market for the meat, but we actually exported all ours and couldn’t keep up with demand.
"We sold to Japan, Canada, and USA, and our skins to Italy, South Korea, and Mexico, and we tanned extra skins domestically to supply companies such as R. M. Williams and Jackaroo Hats along with other leather manufacturers.
“In the 90s we had some research and development funding but no government support, and unfortunately the state politics scuttled our abattoirs during COVID.
"So, at the moment we’re unable to process commercially after processing for 30 years.
"We’ve grown by having a fantastic product and a customer base internationally really wanting our product.
"We’ve had very close strategic alliances with our customers who have supported us in the supply chain so that we continue to have success.
"We've been closely aligned when it came to price setting ensuring the operation was viable and we weren’t merely price takers, with middlemen gouging profits.
“In hindsight it would have been better to set up our own processing plant, because that’s been our Achilles heel.
"State government policies made it impossible for processing plants to operate their chains during COVID.
"If I was in another state, I wouldn’t have the problem.”
After 35 years, Hastings Ostrich Services no longer export, nevertheless, in accepting this ‘paradigm shift’, their genetics remain ‘the best in the world’.
They had always exported genetic material, and recently sold to the Vietnamese government, among 16 other countries, including South Africa where the birds originated.
“We can still export live animals for breeding stock and our birds are exceptionally good," Michael said.
"We have four main breeds: the Kenyan red necks, Zimbabwe blue necks, African blacks, Hastings whites, and our commercial birds which are cross-breeds.
“It worries us because we are not trucking as many birds; we’ve had to lay off staff; and rationalise the business, and we’re only hatching to order, instead of having the hatchery working flat out in full scale production.
"Politics has got in the way of good business.
"It takes so much to build the business up.
"You can’t just turn it off and then instantly crank it back up.
"You have to have everything in order, it doesn’t happen overnight,” said Michael.
According to Michael decisions by the government have been 'knee-jerk', without common sense towards business, or understanding of the spin-off logistics and their impact.
"It's similar to what happened in the live cattle export industry," he said.
“We have the best stock and animal welfare standards in the world but stopping Australia from participating in live animal exports does not stop that market from transacting, while others can supply, they lack our welfare standards.
"Full consideration, analysis of the supply chains and dealing with things in a holistic balanced manner, would ensure businesses can function.
“I grew up on a small farm in Winchelsea, and I was looking for a product with high quality that didn’t require huge acreage and ostriches are perfect, economically viable, and they ticked all the other boxes.
“Because we do everything, we manage our biosecurity very carefully.
"We have a breeder farm and a hatchery grow-out farm and no birds get on that farm unless they are hatched there, so we can manage our biosecurity and export protocols very efficiently."
Michael, wife Victoria and their adult children embody what farming is at best, and hope for policies that are less reactionary and more considered to ensure that not just this agricultural industry but others also might flourish.
