BY BUSINES REPORTER
ZIMBABWE’S rabbit production is poised to grow significantly this year, with players targeting to have rabbit meat featuring regularly on the menus of consumers of white meat in Zimbabwe and beyond.
According to the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (Zicorba), the growth is underpinned by a raft of strategies being crafted by the association.
“We have been taking an incisive look at all the challenges that have been choking the growth of rabbit farming in Zimbabwe for a number of years, with a view to coming up with actionable, measurable and sustainable solutions,” Zicorba president Regis Nyamakanga wrote in the association’s newsletter.
“It is an open secret that there are serious production-related issues, processing challenges and marketing bottlenecks that have asphyxiated the growth of cuniculture in Zimbabwe. The farmers have now tasked us to address these challenges within set timeframes,” he said.
On the production side, Nyamakanga said they were looking at how to improve the breeding stock, the cost of inputs, housing, diseases, training and extension support, and the general welfare of rabbits.
“We are keen to ensure that rabbit meat is processed in facilities that are certified and approved by the veterinary authorities. In this regard, we are working on rabbit production and processing standards,” he said.
“By mid-year this year, we would like rabbit meat to be a regular feature on the menus of consumers of white meat in Zimbabwe and beyond and in this regard, we are currently in discussion with a number of bulk buyers of rabbit meat in Zimbabwe, the greater Africa region and the Middle East,” Nyamakanga said.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
He said over the past two months, a number of strategic planning meetings had been held with many rabbit producers in various parts of the country aimed at developing solutions to the challenges that have affected rabbit production in Zimbabwe.
Rabbit production is one of the fastest growing industries globally, with statistics showing that over four billion kilogrammes are consumed worldwide with some countries in Europe importing between US$20 million to US$33 million worth of rabbits annually.
In Zimbabwe, the sector is still growing and Zicorba is on a mission of popularising it.
