Tehran – South Khorasan, in the east of Iran, is reinforcing its status as one of Iran's leading ostrich-producing provinces, with 67 licensed farms operating across the province, a provincial agriculture official said.

 

Morteza Me’rajian, Deputy for Livestock Production Improvement at the South Khorasan Agricultural Organization, said the province has licensed farms with a capacity of 1,746 breeding ostriches and 28,219 birds for meat production.

 

“Currently, 1,614 breeding and 16,378 fattening ostriches are raised on industrial farms, alongside smaller traditional operations.”

 

He added that the province's hot, arid climate provides ideal conditions for ostrich farming, giving South Khorasan a competitive advantage in expanding the industry.

 

The official noted that while local slaughterhouses in Darmian, Boshruyeh and Khusf process part of the production, many live birds are shipped to Tehran, Yazd, Isfahan and other provinces, with exports also reaching Afghanistan and Iraq.

 

Bordering Afghanistan creates additional opportunities for exports, Me’rajian said, adding that investment in processing, packaging and industrial slaughterhouses could open markets across the Persian Gulf.

 

He stressed that completing the value chain and expanding processing industries are essential to increasing value-added production and reducing raw sales.

 

He added that the Ministry of Agriculture supports investors through land allocation, licensing, feed supply and financial assistance, subject to available funding.

 

Me’rajian also noted that although ostriches are relatively disease-resistant, proper management and continuous monitoring remain necessary to prevent diseases such as Newcastle disease, avian influenza and enterotoxemia.

 

“Around 15 to 20 specialized transport trucks currently serve the province's ostrich industry.”