Australian camel meat heads for China

Australian camel farmers are preparing to export boxed camel meat to China following an industry conference in Kazakhstan in June.

More than one million wild camels are estimated to be roaming Australia's deserts, covering 3.3 million sq kms, Xinhua quoted Australia's national broadcaster as saying.

Alex Knight, land and culture manager of the Ngaanyatjarra Council in Alice Springs, said a camel milk company from China wanted to hear about developments in Australia at the Kazakhstan conference.

"They are trying to develop an import protocol to import camel meat from Australia," Knight said.

Somali butcher Abukar Hersi, currently residing in Melbourne, said camel meat is "one of the best things you can have" which is very rich and high in protein.

"I think when Australians realise, we will see camel meat in every butcher and supermarket."

Knight said they attended the conference in Kazakhstan to understand the commercial aspects of management, husbandry and disease eradication for camel farming.

"There has not been much research in Australia on how to use camels commercially whereas the rest of the world has been developing their camel industry," Knight said.