HUSTLE MAG MARCH 2020 FINAL

also a challenge with rabbit breeding as
we have only one government-owned
breeding station in Ngong.”
RABAK came on board with the main
aim of streamlining this sector. It aimed to
help the rabbit farmer make some money
from rabbits.
“When we came, we decide to also
venture into rabbit value addition. As it
stands, the industry lacks a proper value
addition model, meaning that all the other
by products of rabbit go to waste, including
the skin.
“We partnered with the government
to make this industry a success. So
far, we have a slaughterhouse in Thika
that slaughters over 300 rabbits every
Wednesday, thanks to the partnership.”
Other than this, RABAK, in partnership
with the government, is working on modalities
to add value to rabbits.
“We are in talks with Kenya Leather
Board to see if we can tan rabbit skins.
As it stands, the board doesn’t tan small
skins.”
Additionally, RABAK processes rabbit
meat to make sausages. However, with
the low supply of rabbits, this value addition
endeavor seems unsustainable.
With over 600 members, RABAK is a robust
organization. Its members are located
in different parts of the country, from
Mombasa, Nairobi, Muranga to Kitale. The
organization also partners with supermarkets
and hotels to enable farmers to sell
their rabbits to the mainstream market.
We partnered with
the government
to make this
industry a success.
So far, we have a
slaughterhouse
in Thika that
slaughters over
300 rabbits every
Wednesday
“The demand for rabbits is high and we
struggle to meet it,” says Waiganjo.
One of the biggest challenges facing
rabbit farmers is logistics. Transporting
live rabbits is not easy, as Waiganjo
reckons. RABAK, working closely with the
government wants to set up small slaughter
slabs in all counties to make it easy for
farmers to deliver ready meat.
Furthermore, RABAK buys rabbits from
the farmers and sells them to consumers.
One good thing about their buying model
is that they pay farmers instantly.
“Farmers also have the benefit of
knowing they get the best out of their
rabbits. We are certified by Kenya Bureau
of Standards and other certification
organizations to slaughter, sell and supply
rabbits countrywide.”
However, one of the challenges that
RABAK grapples with is the size of rabbits
being delivered by farmers. “We slaughter
rabbits which are three kilos and above.
As you might be aware, rabbits lose half
their weight after slaughter.”
He says there’s need for farmers to get
quality breeds that mature fast if they
need to make rabbit farming a profitable
venture.
With the ongoing healthy eating trend,
rabbit meat is also becoming a popular
item on the menu as it’s categorized as
white meat. Despite the demand, rabbit
farmers suffer from a few prejudices,
including being seen engaging in a hobby
that’s meant for small boys. Fortunately,
most farmers are making good profits
from rabbit farming and this goes a long
way to dispel the myths.
RABAK is also involved with training of
farmers. By organizing them in groups,
the organization holds seminars and
workshops across the country to train
farmers on the best farming practices,
The organization is motivated by the
increasing demand for rabbit meat, the
reason it wants to recruit more farmers.
“We get many orders from different
organizations. Unfortunately, we cannot
meet this demand,”
Waiganjo says the future looks bright
for rabbit farmers. First, the export market
is big, and could soon need over six
metric tons of rabbit meat every month.
“Export market is on our sights,” says
Waiganjo, who has reared rabbits for two
decades.
In the next five years, RABAK wants to
help local rabbit farmers get a share of
the international rabbit market. In the
meantime, the organization is trying to
meet the demand for rabbit meat at the
local level.
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