Rabbit farming has taken the Kenyan market by storm over the last few years; but like with any other upcoming business idea in Kenya, farmers are encountering a couple of challenges.
Due to that, I did some research on this agri-business opportunity.
I was able to put down a short informative article to help young farmers (as well as buyers) who want to venture into rabbit farming in Kenya.
Types of Breeds That Do Well in Kenya
According to the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), there are three (3) breeds of rabbits in Kenya; California, Chinchilla and New Zealand white.
Flemish Giant is also quite popular around the country. Chinchilla is a grey-brown breed and is preferred because it has a large mature weight.
Most rabbits reach maturity in 5 months and achieve slaughter weight in just 3 months. Rabbits reproduce 3 to 4 times annually.
New Zealand and Californian are popular because they can be relied on for fur as well as meat. Chinchilla is preferred for meat because of its large mature size.
Benefits of Rabbit Keeping
Apart from the high turnover that is characteristic of this field of business, rabbits have numerous benefits. First, their meat is categorized as white meat. Rabbit meat is white, high quality, easily digestible and low fat. It has low cholesterol and high protein compared to most other meat.
Rabbit meat provides low calories per kilogram of meat consumed than pork, turkey, chicken or beef.
Rabbit urine is used both as an insecticide and fertilizer. Their skin and fur can be used in the manufacture of fashion items.
Rabbit droppings serve as tilapia food for those with ponds. A 20kg sack goes for between Ksh.50 and Ksh.200.
Some local agrochemical companies have shown interest in Rabbit droppings but inadequate supply has always proved to be a challenge.
{Rabbit meat has 20.8% protein as compared to lamb meat which contains 15.7% and beef 16.3%}
Cost of Rabbit Farming
The cost of rearing rabbits depends on the type of system you use. Feeds are a major cost because rabbits consume about 25 grams of pellets per day.
This translates to 2.25 kg in 90 days. On average 2 kg of rabbit pellets cost between Ksh.90 and Ksh.150. These feeds can be easily found in local agro-vet shops and supermarkets.
Alternatively, you can feed them on vegetables. An average rabbit feeds on 2 leaves of sukumawiki (Kales) per day. You may also feed them on carrots. Aside from the cost of feeds, you should also add other costs as follows:
- Cost of labour (constructing rabbit hutches)
- Depreciation of hutches
- Transport to the nearest rabbit market
Regions Where Rabbit Business Thrives
Rabbits can be kept in virtually any part of Kenya provided they are housed properly and protected from predators. The Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries will be able to furnish you with specific information like – where to source the right species and so forth.
Kindly visit your nearest ministry offices to inquire more about the requirements for starting up rabbit farming in your area.
Where to Find Market
Finding a market for Rabbits has proven to be a challenge to most farmers in Kenya. To some extent, this can be blamed on the poor flow of information from the sellers to the buyers (and vice versa).
Normally, there are two different avenues that you can use to sell your Rabbit products.
First, you can sell through local companies that have established themselves as an authority in this line of business.
Rabbit Republic, Mombasa Road, next to Kenchick, Athi River, 0704124499 is one such company. Benida Foods at Kahawa W Station Rd, Nairobi, 0722 907984 is yet another example of a company that deals with rabbit marketing in Kenya.
The second way to market your rabbits is through direct marketing. In that case, you would have to visit big hotels and research centres looking for a market.
You may also want to approach supermarkets in your area and request them to sell your stock.
To market rabbits, you need certification from the Veterinary Services Department (MALF), Kenya Bureau of Statistics.
One place to find a market for rabbit meat is at local hotels. Most 5-star hotels are looking for consistent suppliers. You only need to visit several of these hotels in your area and talk to them about your farming business. Rabbit meat retails at a price range of Ksh.500 and Ksh.700 per kilogram.
Data from the Export Promotion Council (EPC) shows that the demand for rabbit meat globally has not been fulfilled. For this reason, farmers with less than 100 rabbits are being urged to form groups at the county level in order to strategize on how best to supply other countries.
Finally;
There are many factors to consider before you venture into Rabbit farming in Kenya. I recommend that you carry out thorough research before you rush to invest in any kind of business.
Also, don`t forget to join our upcoming training on Greenhouse Farming. We only have 5 days remaining.
We have created a WhatsApp group called GREENHOUSE FARMING TRAINING
In this group, we are going to train and teach you for 20 days how you can start, grow and profit in Greenhouse Farming Business.
Greenhouse farming has been practised in Kenya for quite some time now but it’s not until recently that most Kenyans have started realizing the great benefits of practising greenhouse farming which requires a small space but produces high yields.
And it’s cool too. University graduates, fresh out of campus are soiling their hands in this business and they are not afraid of bragging about it.
Why?
Because it brings in the six figures. Something that would have taken them years to accomplish if they were seated behind a desk.
So, if you are there seated at home unemployed, or just bored out of your mind with your current job and are looking for a great business opportunity then you are in luck.
Join our Greenhouse Farming Training as we introduce to you greenhouse farming and its many benefits.
In our GREENHOUSE FARMING TRAINING WhatsApp Group, we will also have discussions, and question and answer sessions.
The training will start on Wednesday, 14th June 2023.
We have prepared a program or schedule for how our Training will be conducted.
Our Greenhouse Farming Training will take 20 days (Monday to Friday, excluding weekends)
We will be educating/teaching you from 9. am to 2. pm by posting articles, images, PDF documents and videos. And from 2. pm to 7. pm, the group will be open for discussions, questions and answers.
NOTE: The training won’t affect your daily schedule. You can access all the information posted in the training group at your own free time.
Also, our training will be on weekdays only, Monday to Friday, excluding weekends so that those who will be busy during the weekdays can catch up with our training over the weekend.
Below is a schedule of what will be learnt on each day of our training.
- DAY 1: Introduction to Greenhouse Farming.
- DAY 2: Opportunities and Profitability of Greenhouse Farming.
- DAY 3: Greenhouse Business Plan.
- DAY 4: Capital Requirement & Cost of Building a Greenhouse.
- DAY 5: Selecting your Greenhouse Location.
- DAY 6: Various Greenhouse designs and choosing the best that suits your needs.
- DAY 7: Construction of your Greenhouse.
- DAY 8: Choosing and setting up a Greenhouse Irrigation System.
- DAY 9: What to Grow in a Greenhouse.
- DAY 10: Greenhouse Pollination.
- DAY 11: How to control Greenhouse Airflow and Lighting.
- DAY 12: How to control Greenhouse Temperature.
- DAY 13: How to control Greenhouse Moisture and Watering.
- DAY 14: How to control Pests and Diseases in a Greenhouse.
- DAY 15: Greenhouse Cleaning & Maintenance.
- DAY 16: Common Greenhouse Farming Mistakes & How to Avoid Them.
- DAY 17: Marketing Tips & Strategies for your Greenhouse Produce.
- DAY 18: Greenhouse Farming Tips & Tricks.
- DAY 19: Success Stories of Kenyan Farmers Owning Greenhouses.
- DAY 20: Conclusion of our Training.
To join our GREENHOUSE FARMING TRAINING WhatsApp group, it will cost you only Ksh.200.
This Ksh.200 is a small fee to enable you to learn for 20 days how you can start, grow and profit in Greenhouse Farming Business.
You can make your payment of Ksh.200 through our SHOP and we will add you to our GREENHOUSE FARMING TRAINING WhatsApp group.
Don’t miss this training. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Remember, this training will be for 20 days and starts on Wednesday, 14th June 2023.
Make your payment early to avoid last-minute inconveniences.
For inquiries,
Contact us on WhatsApp or Call;
Timothy Angwenyi
Business Consultant
+254701711058
Justine Nyachieo
Business Man & Mentor
+254754839228
