BEIJING, April 4 (Xinhuanet) -- China has become Asia's number one ostrich raiser with about 20,000 ostriches bred in captivity, according to sources attending the International Conference on the Development of Ostriches that opened Saturday in Xi'an, capital of the northwestern Shaanxi Province.

    Experts say the figure is the fifth largest in the world.

    China started in 1992 to import and artificially breed ostriches, a species that was indigenous to Africa and has been raised around the globe since the 1980s as its feathers, meat, egg, hair and bone are all of high economic value.

    Ostrich breeding enjoys immense potential in China's central and western regions, whose dry climate and abundant land and fodder resources are conducive to the birds' growth, said officials with the agriculture and finance ministries at the conference.

    Ostrich raising will play a leading role in boosting the fodder processing industry, protecting the ecological environment, enriching the consumers' market and increasing the local farmers' income, according to experts with the China Ostrich Farming and Development Association, sponsor of the international conference.

    The three-day event was initiated by the World Ostrich Association to promote the development of the global ostrich raising industry and showcase China's achievements in this aspect.

    The conference carries the theme of "opportunities and challenges facing the global ostrich industry", and has drawn industry insiders from more than 20 countries and regions.

    Participants will visit Shaanxi IKO Ostriches Co., Ltd., the largest ostrich breeding base in Asia, during their stay in the northwestern province. Enditem