How to Market Emu Meat

Many exotic meats are all said to taste like chicken. The emu, however, does not. Dubbed the other red meat, this large, flightless bird tastes a lot like beef. The meat is lower in cholesterol and fat and has been promoted by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy alternative. As an emu farmer, you can use previous studies and comparisons to promote and sell emu meat.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Marketing plan
• USDA regulations

1. Plan your marketing strategy. Research current diet trends and evaluate how you can influence consumers to purchase emu meat in lieu of the current choices. During this stage, you want to determine how much to spend on advertising and what kind of promotions you will pursue. Make a list of potential markets for your product.

2. Check with your local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) office to learn the rules and/or licensing requirements to sell meat and meat products in your state. Many states require that the meat be USDA-approved and packaged and labeled to their specifications before you can sell it to the public. There may even be county or local issues that need to be addressed--for example, some counties won't allow meat sales to take place at trade shows.

3. Contact local restaurants, especially those that offer exotic fare. Many restaurants have added emu meat to their menus not only to give their customers a unique choice but also to provide a healthier alternative for those patrons on special diets. You can also check with meat markets and supermarkets that buy local products in addition to those offered by their distributors.

4. Talk to health food stores about offering emu meat and meat products. Many of these stores are always looking for the healthiest products to offer their clients. Provide all the data available about the benefits of emu meat over traditional meats, including endorsements from organizations such as the American Heart Association.

5. Find a dog food company that already processes food made with emu meat, or ask if they would be willing to start their own line of emu-based dog food. Some premium dog foods now available contain emu meat, which has become popular with dog owners who want the very best for their pet. Research the companies who make the current brands to see where they get their meat and if they are looking for more.

6. Build a website centered on emus and the products you have available. If you don't have experience building a website, many host companies have easy-to-use tools to help you, or you can hire someone to build the site for you.

7. Join a national organization like the American Emu Association (AEA), which helps its members promote their farms and products. The AEA provides press releases to promote the emu industry that you can give to your local newspaper and has an aggressive marketing campaign of their own that can also benefit individual farmers. Many states also have local chapters that you can join to receive even more benefits.

Tips & Warnings

• Only slaughter and process your emus in a USDA-approved processing plant to help ensure your meat will be approved for sale to consumers. (See the related eHow, "How to Find an Emu Processing Plant.")
• Some emu ranchers sell meat and meat products on their farm; however, you must check on the regulations in your state and county before starting this practice to ensure there aren't any legal issues involved.

Resources

• Emu Today and Tomorrow
• American Emu Association
• Emu Farming Information Group on Yahoo!
• Emu's Zine
• Marketing advice from Emu Supply