Stories by Steve Agbota ( [email protected] 08033302331 )
For as many low scale entrepreneurs looking for ways to diversify their little capital in 2018, commercial rabbit farming is the right venture because it requires relatively less capital.
Potential investors or farmers will get back their investment within a very short period, as rabbit business is highly profitable business, can be a great source of earning and employment. This is why experts have continued to advise government at various levels to train youths and women on rabbit farming as a means to alleviate poverty.
Statistics shows that over 1.2 million tonnes of rabbit meat is consumed yearly around the world. Rabbit meat contains highest amount of digestible protein and it has the lowest cholesterol and fat of all types of meat.
Rabbits are very easy to rear unlike chickens and some other livestock, which require expert or experienced personnel. With a wooden and chicken wire for housing, a potential farmers need about N30, 000 to N40, 000 to start the business.
The potential farmers may start with a buck of two males and a doe of five females. The female rabbit is ready to start having babies between four to five months and has just gestation period of 31 days and it can give birth to four to eight kids at once six times in a year and it require little space to rear and one can start rearing of rabbit at their backyard.
However, rabbit products have huge market potential. The micro-livestock has proven to be a great source of income to thousands of people worldwide, and has also been identified as a great source of food for African nations.
Presently, organic fertiliser companies and few rabbit farmers around the world are turning rabbit urine and poo into a business venture. The organic fertiliser companies and farmers are said to be making huge money both in local and foreign currency.
In addition, farmers are using rabbit urine in production of pesticide and fertiliser. Rabbit farmers say the urine business is more rewarding besides being a remedy for mineral deficiency in soils and a killer of crop pest.
Urine has high levels of nitrogen key element in healthy leaf formation. This makes it an appropriate folia boosting fertiliser. Because of the concentration of the compounds in the urine, the liquid also kills crop pests.
Apart from urine and poo, rabbit also offer other source of income as its skin is used for leather shoe and bag while its furs are used for manufacturing cloths. Its bones are also used for the manufacturing of life stock feeds.
In Africa, Kenya is leading in the production of rabbit urine as fertiliser and rabbit poo as manure, followed by Ghana and South Africa. Daily Sun investigation revealed that a successful rabbit farmer in Kenya who slaughters about 2,000 rabbits every month for groceries is making about turnover of $1,000.
There are ten species of rabbit around the world, which include Chinchilla, New Zealand, Rex and Angola White. Currently, Italy, Spain, China, and France are the leading producers of rabbit meat, which has earned a reputation as super meat due to its nutritional and health benefits.
Speaking with Daily Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Boluwa Golden Solutions, Mr Gbenga Boluwajoko, said that rabbit farm in Nigeria is still at the infant stages but in 2017, there was an increase in the numbers of farmers doing the business, which shows good prospect.
He said that rearing of rabbit is not difficult unlike other animals and feeding is very cheap. He said that in feeding rabbits, grain is sometimes necessary and definitely will increase growth rate, but grass, kitchen peel; garden leaves, etc. can provide the main feed at almost no cost.
He hinted that rabbit is a lucrative and profitable business, as people can make manure from rabbit poo, fur from rabbit skin, feed for other animals from rabbit poo and rabbit can be sell as pet and sell as research tool. He said that rabbit keeping is not restricted by any taboos or particular beliefs that prevent the eating of rabbit meat or its promotion as food.
According to him, meat from rabbit is an all white meat product that is high in protein and low in fat, sodium and cholesterol. Adding that some physicians have recommended rabbit meat for years to their patients with coronary heart conditions.
He said: “Rabbit is not a smelly or noisy animal and can easily be kept near school buildings or people’s houses. It produces rich manure for gardening or flower beds and it will not burn plants as does chicken manure. Rabbits are easily transported and actually enjoy an outing from time to time.
“We are working towards export early next year so we need more farmers. Our rabbits are purely organically raised. The demand for rabbit is on the rise in Africa. Even Ghana said that they cannot meet their local demand.We are working on local fur market with one of our government research institute in Zaria, Kaduna state.”