BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
PLAYERS in the country’s rabbit industry have set an ambitious target to catapult Zimbabwe into the top three rabbit producers in Africa within five years.
Current big African producers include Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana while globally China, Italy, Spain and France make up the top four.
Rabbit farming has significant potential to generate foreign currency through exports.
It can also improve food security and nutrition in developing countries.
Zimbabwe’s rabbit industry has been affected by prohibitive pellet costs and lack of quality and affordable breeds.
Now, with more farmers venturing into the industry with government support, the sector is set to grow.
Regis Nyamakanga, the president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (Zicorba), told Standardbusiness that the high cost of inputs coupled with weak domestic demand had been choking the industry.
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He said the local market for rabbit meat had almost collapsed as the few remaining producers could not meet demand.
“The situation was compounded by lack of approved rabbit slaughter facilities. Consumers frown upon products that are processed at backyard facilities as they can potentially be a health hazard,” Nyamakanga said.
Lack of cohesion among the few existing rabbit producers did not help matters, he said.
“The key for unlocking the intrinsic value in the rabbit production value-chain is for stakeholders in the subsector to have shared vision, common practices and set standards, all of which provide a solid base for success,” Nyamakanga said.
Government has approved the importation of 200 pure breeds from South Africa to ramp up production of quality rabbits for meat.
Another 100 pure breeds are set to arrive over in a few weeks.
These imported breeds are currently being bred with a view to availing the offspring to farmers, who will produce rabbits commercially.
“We plan to make available upwards of 10 000 pure breeds over the next 12 months. Our vision is to catapult Zimbabwe into the top three rabbit producers in Africa over the next five years,” Nyamakanga said
Zicorba has sealed a deal with leading rabbit pellet producers where its members will buy the product at discounted prices.
The idea is to manage production costs.
Zimbabwe’s first export-approved abattoir will be commissioned to slaughter rabbits under the supervision of government meat inspectors, he said.
Meat from the abattoir will be sold on the local and export markets.
“Plans are afoot to make available mesh wire at an affordable price to reduce the cost of rabbit cages,” Nyamakanga said.
He said the sector was grateful to the government for including rabbits in its US$8,2 billion five-year livestock growth plan.
“We are appealing to the government to support the development of our sub-sector by relaxing duty on imported pure breeds, essential medicines, rabbits and imported feed components,” Nyamakanga added.
He said Zicorba was committed to assisting the government in re-establishing meat inspection teams to ensure that all types of meat produced in Zimbabwe are processed under healthy and hygienic conditions.
This will place the country in good stead to compete effectively on the global meat market.
Annisa Katsidzira, a farmer from Manicaland, urged women to empower themselves through various farming projects as “we possess the necessary skills and stamina to be successful.”
“I chose rabbit farming because it requires less capital and does not require specialised equipment,” she said.
Florence Mandimutsa, a rabbit farmer from Mashonaland West said she had been in the rabbit industry since 2017.
“My project started with only two does and a buck but now I boast of rabbit stock in excess of 100 rabbits at any given time,” Mandimutsa said.
“Rabbit keeping has become a source of livelihood and a ready source of protein for my family.
“I would like to encourage all women to embark on this highly rewarding sector.”
A pure breed, or breeding, stock costs between US$8 and US$25 in Zimbabwe, depending on age, while a mixed breed or general rabbit, the price is ranging from US$4 to US$15.
In South Africa, the cost of breeding stock ranges from R500 to R700 while cost of live rabbits ranges between R50 and R200.
Another rabbit breeder from Masvingo province, Lydia Chimbari who has rabbit stock of well over 300, attributed her success to following recommended techniques on production, record keeping and feeding.
Chimbari has become an inspiration to many women rabbit breeders.
Rudo Manyureni from Bulawayo started her rabbit business in 2019 on a small-scale basis with two female rabbits and one male.
In a short space of time she was rearing more than 200 rabbits.
With expert help, she said they gradually took their time to learn and understand the different breeds.
Manyureni, a banker by profession, said they were rearing the Flemish Giant, the American Sable and the Chinchilla breeds.
However, due to space constraints, she has reduced her rabbitry to 150.
“My long-term plan is to grow this project to a large scale,” Manyureni.
“The aim is to supply countrywide and beyond Zimbabwean borders.
“Rabbit rearing has, however, significantly improved my lifestyle despite running the project at a small-scale.
“The project has taught me to meet my clients’ expectations and has also allowed me to expand my clientele base particularly during this Covid-19 lockdown.
“I have learnt that more people now appreciate and find rabbit meat as a delicacy.”
She said as a rabbit farmer, the major obstacle was finding markets.
The increase in consumption of rabbit meat is partly driven by health conscious residents, who need meat that is less on cholesterol.
Rabbit meat products are also said to possess medicinal properties, and the meat has a higher percentage of easily digestible protein.
In addition, rabbit meat has low fat and calories, less sodium content and a high meat-bone ratio.
Other end products that are obtained from rabbits such as fur and manure even make breeding rabbits more attractive to small scale and urban farmers.
Aside from the highly nutritional meat, rabbit dung can be used as fertiliser, and the urine can be used as a pesticide.
Farmers said the main advantage of rearing rabbits was that their offsprings grew fast and reach breeding and marketing age more quickly than other livestock.
