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Oliver Kazunga , Senior Business Reporter
BULAWAYO is set to have its first rabbit abbatoir in the next 12 months as part of a broader initiative by the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA) to establish satellite rabbit slaughter houses across the country.

The abbatoir in Bulawayo will be the second of its kind in Zimbabwe after close to US$1 million was spent on a rabbit slaughter-house whose construction was completed in Harare in July this year.

The projects are part of an initiative to bring the market closer to a number of cuniculture producers dotted across the country.

In its latest newsletter, ZICORBA president Mr Regis Nyamakanga was quoted saying land for the upcoming Bulawayo project has already been identified.

“We are currently in discussions with a number of investors to open the country’s second abattoir in Bulawayo, which will serve farmers from Matabeleland region,” he said.

“Land for this purpose has already been identified. Our business partners have also identified land to build other satellite abattoirs in Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland West provinces.”

Mr Nyamakanga said plans to open a rabbit abattoir in Bulawayo and more slaughter houses in other parts of the country were part of the resolutions by ZICORBA at their strategic planning meeting held in Bulawayo early this month.

The Harare rabbit abattoir, which is owned by one of ZICORBA’s corporate members, Raymeg Consultants Private Limited, was built to export specifications and is one of the biggest rabbit abattoirs in Africa.

Mr Nyamakanga is on record saying ZICORBA leaders from Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces have of late reported a sharp increase in rabbit production across the country. In this context, it has been agreed that more rabbit abattoirs were required in order to bring the market closer to the producers.

Meanwhile, ZICORBA has unveiled sweeping proposals to increase rabbit production and popularise rabbit meat consumption in the country as interest in cuniculture continues to surge.

The association’s secretary-general, Ms Siphosethu Ncube-Moyo, said the resurgence of commercial rabbit farming in Zimbabwe needed to be supported with “effective and deliverable” strategies to ensure sustainable growth.

Following their strategic meeting early this month, she was quoted as saying one of the key resolutions that has emerged within her association was the creation of a sustainable market for rabbit meat in the country.

“We are at an advanced stage of agreeing with potential investors to set up retail outlets across the country for white meat, in particular rabbit meat.

“The first such outlets will be opened in Bulawayo within the next six to nine months. In addition, we are currently engaging with boarding schools, hospitals, hotels, top restaurants and eateries to make rabbit meat their preferred dish,” she said.

“Apart from the well documented health benefits of rabbit meat, the idea is to ensure that there is a reliable market for our produce.”

Plans are also afoot to create one-stop shops in strategic parts of the country, which will provide an array of products and services to rabbit farmers. Mrs Ncube-Moyo said ZICORBA will ensure these shops are fully stocked with essential inputs, some of which are currently in short supply.

ZICORBA looks forward to rolling out “Rabbit Master Farmers” programmes as part of capacity building and training initiatives for its members. Graduates under the above programme will be enrolled into contract growing schemes to ensure sustainable thoroughput to the rabbit slaughter houses that will be opened in various parts of the country.

“We will also be launching a research and development unit to help us innovate and come up with cutting edge solutions for the rabbit industry.

“In this regard, we will be working with top research institutions to develop local pure rabbit breeds and to introduce other exciting initiatives.

“Added to this, an inspection and certification programme will be unveiled to ensure that quality procedures and standards are applied across the rabbit production value-chain,” said Mrs Ncube-Moyo.
ZICORBA is also planning to introduce funding programmes and insurance schemes for rabbit farming enterprises. —  @okazunga