OSLO, January 4, 2006 (Reuters) – Camel farming could help create jobs for some African refugees in chilly Norway, producing everything from milk to skins, a local official said yesterday.

Wenche Stenseth, head of the refugee section at Loeten in southern Norway, said the local authority has applied for 1mn crowns ($149,100) from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration for a feasibility study of a camel farm that might start with 10-20 of the humped animals.

“We’re trying to think in new ways,” Stenseth told Reuters. “This is about exploiting the skills people have.”
About 100 refugees, including people from Somalia and Sudan, live in Loeten, a village about 120km north of Oslo. Many depend on state handouts as they struggle to find jobs in Norway.

A camel farm could help refugees integrate by making them independent of welfare – camel milk, meat, skins and hair can all be sold.

“This is a multicultural society. The market is there,” Stenseth said.

Typically found in desert regions, some camel species native to Mongolia or Tibet could be suited to the cold Nordic winters. Camels survive by eating grass or hay, like horses in Norway.

Camels could also attract tourism.

“Why should Norwegians travel to Morocco or Egypt to ride camels if they can do it here?” she asked.