It’s more than rabbit meat

Tendai Chara
A small group of clearly excited people — among them farmers and pet lovers — sat attentively as a man delivered a lecture on commercial rabbit production. Sitting on logs that had been carved into makeshift stools, the youthful man passionately shared with the group ideas on how to mate, breed, feed and house rabbits. Some few metres from the meeting place were several pens housing more than 400 rabbits.

This group is one of the many comprising farmers and pet lovers that throng Mr Gift Jambaya’s plot in Westgate, Harare, on a weekly basis. Better known as “Mr Tsuro”, his trade name, Mr Jambaya is one of the country’s passionate and successful commercial rabbit breeders.

The small-holder farmer first caught the attention of the media during last year’s Harare Agricultural Show after two of his rabbit breeds were judged to be the best in their respective categories. Two of his New Zealand Reds were judged to be the best.

Since then, Mr Jambaya has never looked back and has emerged as one of the few local farmers who are taking rabbit farming as a business.

Unlike most of the rabbit farmers who only concentrate on the growing aspect, Mr Jambaya raises the rabbits then follow through their value market chain. He slaughters and packages rabbit meat for direct delivery to his customers. He has also found a market for rabbit skins and furs.

Mr Jambaya attributes his success to what he learnt during the Harare Agricultural Show. “Showcasing at the Harare Agricultural Show opened doors for me. I knew that the market for rabbits had always been there. I, however, used to think that selling rabbit meat in supermarkets and having markets for rabbit furs and skins were far-fetched ideas,” he said.

From the interactions that he had with those who visited his stand at the show, he discovered that there was a ready market for the furs and skins. “Initially, I was concentrating on keeping rabbits for their meat. I have since diversified into breeds that produce quality skins and furs,” he added.

“For the furs, I introduced the Angora breed which is one of the best fur producing rabbits. The furs are used to make hats, gloves and jackets, among other items. For the skins, we keep the New Zealand Red which produces colourful decorative skins. As you can see, rabbits can be kept for various reasons,” Mr Jambaya said.

According to Mr Jambaya, some of his customers prefer smoked rabbit meat whilst others want fresh meat. “I am also slaughtering and packaging rabbit meat which I supply to individuals and supermarkets,” he said.

Apart from the current stock of 24 Angora breeders, Mr Jambaya also keeps Californian Whites, Chinchilla and the New Zealand White and Red, among other breeds.

Rabbit breeds vary in body shape, fur colour and behavioural characteristics. According to Mr Jambaya, it will take time for local producers to satisfy the market.

“The market for both rabbit meat, furs and skins remain largely untapped. Rabbits, depending on the size and breed, cost anything between $10 and $30. Because of demand, one might be tempted to sell even the breeding stock,” he said.

Rabbit farming, also known as cuniculture, is not capital intensive and has low production costs. Rabbits grow fast and requires less food as compared to other domesticated animals. On average, a doe can produce between five and 13 baby rabbits (kittens) at a time.

Cuniculture is growing steadily since farmers have recognised a gap in the market.

Mr Jambaya says demand for rabbit meat is growing.

“I link up with customers almost everywhere – in queues and in commuter omnibuses and other places. There is a ready market for rabbits. I need about 1 500 breeders for me to say that I am a serious farmer,” he said.

His dream is to open an abbatoir and butchery that specialises in rabbit meat.

Apart from the meat, furs and skins; rabbit urine can also be used as a fertilizer while the offals can be used as pet food.

On the other hand, cuniculture requires a farmer who is hands-on and is always available. A farmer must keep records regarding breeding, feeding and mating. Rabbits also need a constant supply of fresh water and must be given the right diet.

According to Mr Jambaya, the mortality rate skyrockets if rabbits are not properly taken care of.

A trained information technology specialist, Mr Jambaya, is adamant that he will not go back to his former job.

“I am happy here. As you can see this place is peaceful and I spend most of my time monitoring my rabbits. The financial returns are also good. I will never go back to the IT job,” he said.