Poultry farmers in the Indian state of Punjab have begun to breed the native Australian bird, the Emu, not just for its meat but also for its oil.<br /><br />With high costs associated with the breeding of chickens, the Emu offers a low-cost, high-protein and low-fat 20kg meat source per each bird for meat eaters in India.<br /><br />While Emu meat is not expected to be a substitute to chicken, it could replace the underdeveloped red meat market in India, if it is reared in numbers. <br /><br />However, more promise is held with pharmaceuticals researching the bird's unique oil, the only known oil that can penetrate human skin. <br /><br />Al Jazeera's Sohail Rahman reports from Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
