PHOTO: Rabbit Millionaire Project breeder James Mwangi holds one of his farm rabbit during the Nairobi International Agricultural Society of Kenya on October 8, 2016. Rabbit Millionaires Project is contacting farmers to supply it with rabbits . PHOTO BY LABAN ROBERT.
One agribusiness organization is looking to contacting more than 10,000 famers, who will be supplying it with rabbits for meat export.
In the contracting process, farmers enter an agreement with the Rabbit Millionaires Project to buy pregnant rabbits, and they sell back the bunnies when they are four months old.
Agribusiness is emerging as the option to joblessness. But farmers are facing challenges in accessing markets, with few delivering their rabbits to supermarkets like Tuskys and major hotels which make sausages and or selling it as meat.
James Mwangi, an official of the organisation, said the group targets to than 50,000 kilos of rabbit meat for export by the 2017.
A four kilogramme rabbit will be bought at Sh2,000.
“The organisation has been doing research and locating possible markets for sale of rabbit meat on the international fronts. One of the identified regions is France. The market is promising and for that reason more farmers have to be brought on board for constant supply of quality meat that meets the international standards,” Mwangi said.
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Farmers are required to buy already bred rabbits, with each costing Sh5,000.
One needs to buy a minimum of 12 rabbits and after four to five months deliver bunnies for marketing.
Four months old rabbits are about four kilos before slaughtering.
In supporting quality production, experts would visit farmer from time to time to give them more tips.
Farmers supplying rabbits to supermarkets and other large-scale consumers and restaurants, the cost per kilo ranges from Sh700 to Sh1,000.
Justin Magiri, a Mombasa County farmer who sells rabbit to high-end hotels at the coastal strip, says he spends Sh450 to raise a rabbit to maturity- five months.
Magiri depends on commercial feeds. He sells the rabbits at Sh700 to earn at least Sh250 profit.
Although the price per kilo is lower in selling to the millionaire group, the advantage is the collective market, which means one can deliver as many as possible for profitability.
Rural farmers can also substitute the commercial feeds with local greens.
Mwangi can be reached on +254707728383