Large-scale rabbit farm planned in Karibib

Elvira HattinghKaribibNamibian farmers have several plans up their sleeve this year. These include a project set to farm rabbits on a large scale at Karibib within a year, the establishment of an association for rabbit farmers in February and negotiations for a meat export market to China.This according to rabbit farmer Johann Potgieter, who farms with his wife, Ivette, and their twin boys, Liam and Tiaan, at Karibib. They are the owners of Oholle Rabbit Farm.He and four partners, including the Windhoek businessman Tinus Opperman, have plans to establish the large-scale rabbit farm on 10 hectares of land in Karibib, where everything will be done - from growing food for the rabbits to selling their meat.“We want to be able to supply a ton of rabbit meat every 45 days. To make it work, we need between 400 and 500 female rabbits,” he explained.Karibib’s town council is already on board and has made the land available to them, which they will lease long-term. “It’s a very exciting project and probably the only one of its kind in Namibia,” he said.The farm will be open to visits from the public, while it will also boast a small shop where they will be able to buy, among other things, rabbit meat.“Karibib is a strategic location for the project. I am close here to operate it. When people drive to the coast towards the end of the year, they should be able to stop by and see how we do it.”Potgieter added that they are still working on a pilot project to determine whether it will be possible to farm with free-ranging rabbits. “Nowhere in the world is it done like this. We will also consider factors such as owls and snakes to look at how we can make it work.”As part of this pilot project, they have already placed female rabbits in a large camp and built new cages. “If it can work this way, we will do it on a large scale,” he explained.FeedPotgieter said they hope they will also be able to buy feed for the rabbits cheaper on a large scale.In addition to this, they want to plant fodder crops such as alfalfa and forage sorghum, otherwise known as ‘cow candy’, which make up 70% of rabbits’ diet.They believe planting their own feed will help save money on feed costs. They also want to use invasive prosopis bushes as rabbit food, while a nutritionist will be on hand to assist them.Potgieter said there is definite interest from China, which would like to import rabbit meat. He believes that as soon as access to this market can be gained, Namibia will need a lot of rabbit farmers to meet the demand.He added that he and his partners are enthusiastic about the project.“The projections look good.”Formalising the industryOn the rabbit farm, apart from rabbit meat, compost will be made from rabbit dung and sold from the shop. Even rabbit furs can be sold, should there be interest, he said.“We want to become professional and create a formal place for people to buy rabbit products. We want to do it commercially and want people to start taking the product seriously.“If people in Europe eat rabbit meat, we can probably do it too,” Potgieter said.However, customers will have to buy rabbit meat directly from the farmer.“There isn’t a trader in the country willing to stock rabbit meat. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, because if someone buys directly from us, you save money. And you get the feeling that the product is delivered to you with love and effort from the farm.“In any case, in South Africa it is already increasingly a trend to buy directly from the farmer. I believe it will come to us too. People want a personal banker and maybe also a personal farmer,” he said with a laugh.Steady growthThe local rabbit industry is already experiencing steady growth and Potgieter said he can’t keep up with demand for training on rabbit farming. He’s set to offer a course of this nature in Henties Bay this month.“The industry has already developed and adapted a lot. In the beginning, everyone was looking for breeding material; now it seems that market has stabilised and people are starting to market rabbit meat. It’s a positive thing, because it means the industry can respond to orders at shorter notice,” he said.In February, Namibian rabbit farmers will gather in Windhoek to form an association to better organise the industry, and to have more bargaining power, he said, adding that the meeting will be advertised.Meanwhile, interest in rabbit meat continues to grow.“Getting rabbit meat sold is 10 times easier today than four years ago. I think Covid-19 played a big role; people are under pressure and looking for alternatives and also how they can save money,” he explained.He believes that rabbit meat, which can sell for as little as N$50 per kilogram, offers a good protein alternative.Potgieter said the market is diversified and while rabbit meat sometimes sells for about N$50 per kg, it can even reach N$150 per kg. “It depends where you market. Where the meat is formally packaged, sealed and sent away with a sticker on it, it costs more.”Potgieter emphasised that rabbit farming is a rewarding industry.“We have done the calculations over and over again - it remains rewarding.”However, the key to success is thinking outside the box and making an effort to secure a market for your product, he added.For more information, follow Oholle Rabbit Farm on Facebook.

Large-scale rabbit farm planned in Karibib

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-24

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Large-scale rabbit farm planned in Karibib

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Namibian Sun 2024-12-24

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