Besides a successful venture in rabbit rearing Humprey Wangila a farmer in Bungoma is now selling rabbit urine and droppings to fellow farmers a venture that is giving him extra income besides shielding him especially when there is a drop in meat demand.
Judging by the number of farmers who call at Wangila’s farm to ask him questions and even buy urine and droppings, it is evident that he has hit on a formula that others would like to emulate in their own farms.
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The father of five sells rabbit urine and droppings to farmers who have come to learn about the value of the waste from the animals. “I started it just as a pass-time with two rabbits which I got from Action for Rural Health and Development, an organisation working within Bungoma County.
“The information I got about rabbits from the same organisation made me take the bold step and I am not regretting the decision I took.”
He had learnt that just a few drops of urine can be used as nutrients for crops especially for top dressing. But when he stumbled on this knowledge, he did not keep it to himself.
He has since introduced his neighbours to it, attracting the attention of many farmers from the area who have now started buying the urine to benefit from its efficacy.
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From a simple structure where he keeps the rabbits, Wangila has devised a system of trapping the urine and the dung which he then collects and stores.
Just a few months ago he had in his store about 25 litres of urine which he would sell to farmers for Sh1,000 per litre and was expecting to earn Sh25,000 as the demand for the urine has been rising.
Wangila has also experimented on his tree seedlings and has become a role model in the village that is known for sugar cane and maize growing.
He is one of the over 300 farmers who have diversified their activities after getting agricultural skills, farm inputs and credit to expand farming to increase productivity and address the serious issue of food insecurity and rural poverty.
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Rabbit urine is also used as a direct insecticide. Local greenhouse farmers in Kenya are buying the urine which they dilute in a 1: 5 ratio in water and spray directly to their crops.
One rabbit ordinarily produces 250ml of urine daily. Therefore, with at least five rabbits, a farmer can tap a litre of rabbit urine a day.
The urine is also used as foliar fertiliser and biopesticide.
Some of the companies buying rabbit urine in Kenya include Rabbit Consortium Ltd – +254 725 600 710 Rabbits urine Extra – +254775591851