Rabbit Farming as a Veritable Tool for Economic Empowerment
Chapter One
Objective of the study
General Objectives
To examine rabbit farming as a veritable tool for economic empowerment of farmers in Itu L.G.A. in Nigeria.
Specific Objectives
- To examine the level of involvement of farmers in rabbit farming in the study area.
- Toexamine the factors affecting rabbit farming in the study area.
- To examine the socioeconomic characteristics of the rabbit farmers in the study area.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Rabbits Products
According to United State Department of Agriculture, circular Number 549 results, extensive test had proved that domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man. It is the only all white meat that has cholesterol levels and fat percentage at a much lower level than chicken, turkey, beef, or pork meat. Compared cholesterol level showed that rabbit meat has 82mg, chicken has 110mg, beef has 115mg and mutton has 125mg per 8 ounces serving of all the mentioned meat. Nutritional Value of Rabbit Meat, Issue Number 5 (2004) state that rabbit meat is fit to provide special diet for people having heart diseases and for the aged. Rabbit from farm to table can be as fresh or frozen rabbit meat which is sold all year round. Rabbit sold in United State of America as food are labeled as fryer they are young rabbit weighing between 1.5 to 3.5 pounds and at less than 12 weeks of age. The flesh is tender, fine grained and pearly pink color should be cooked as young poultry. Mature rabbits are labeled as roasters, they weigh over 4 pounds at over 8 months of age. The flesh is firm, coarse grained and is slightly darker in color and less tender, stewing would be better. The inner organs, the liver and the heart are called Giblets.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter reviewed the research methodology used to conduct this study; the research design, sample and sampling procedure, research instruments used, data collection tools and the data analysis method.
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Research Design
The study carried out about an existing situation where environment was not manipulated which (Kombo et al 2006) describes as descriptive survey and stated it was appropriate for behavioural science as it seeked to find out factors associated with certain occurrences, outcomes and condition of behaviour. It involved collection of information through use of interviews and questionnaire administration to assist in revealing the nature of existing situation as Orodho, (2003) prescribes.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION
Introduction
This chapter presents the findings for economic empowerment through rabbit farming in Itu L.G.A. in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The Summary and discussion of the findings of the research
These were the findings of each objective as given by the rabbit farmers who participated on the research.
Influence of demographic factors on rabbit farming.
Among the rabbit farmers in Itu L.G.A.; 23.2% were youth who are engage in rabbit farming while 72.5% are beyond youth age bracket which is contrary to belief that rabbit farming was a small boys activity, this gender category once convinced that rabbit farming is a worth enterprise, has resources to expand it further which would increase rabbit population as well as the number of farmers engaging in rabbit farming. Also the study showed that 92.4% of the households were headed by men. Much of the decisions in a farming community are made by men since they own land which is a factor of production. Once convinced about productivity of a new technology or a new enterprise, they make decisions for the household to adopt, so once this gender category adopt rabbit farming there would be an increase in rabbit population and number of households keeping rabbits. The study indicated that education level is high since 56.1% had up to secondary level education; this has led to rabbit farmers being able to source for rabbit information and implement. In the process of sourcing for rabbit information they are likely to discover other rabbit benefits that would be exploited to make rabbit farming to be more worth an enterprise to engage in.
The socio-economic characteristic of rabbit production with respect to awareness and acceptability in relation to its unique potentials and good attributes, which include high growth rate, high efficiency in converting forage to meat, short gestation period, and high prolificacy, relatively low cost of production, the high nutritional quality of the meat, which include low fat, sodium and cholesterol levels together with high protein level of about 20.8% which is bereft of cultural and religious bias(Biobaku and Oguntona,1997) and the presence of caecal microbes which enables the rabbit to digest large amounts of fibrous feed as most non-ruminant species cannot(Taiwo et al. 1999), and therefore can be sustained on forage has been established in this study to be very low. Taking advantage of these attributes for its production will increase the protein intake per head, reduce nutritional diseases, create employment and revenue or income in livestock industry, and commercialization.
The role of the Government in creating awareness in form of education and extension services is equally important to create market for the meat, and availability of short term loans for commercial production, will motivate people into rabbit farming.
The respondents agreed that there are several benefits to be achieved from rabbit farming; the 78.8% of rabbit farmers were convinced that a combination of benefits (white meat, manure, income) attracted them. The white meat benefit attracted more farmers than income contrary to belief that farmers in Itu L.G.A. would start rabbit farming for income. Farmers in these area have other enterprises like tea, coffee, dairy for income, food crops (potatoes, maize, beans and vegetables) for home consumption and the excess sold for income. Manure from dairy was used to support those crops grown purely for income, while the interviewed rabbit farmers said that the rabbit manure was used for the other food crops. An increase in rabbit population would cause an increase in the amount of manure thus an increase in food crops to get enough for home consumption and much more for sale which would improve the farm income. The linear regression model showed that a unit increase in rabbit products would lead to a 2.993 increase in rabbit farming. Rabbits have more products than farmers are aware of as indicated by Cheeke (1980) and Lukefahr (1985), which would attract increased rabbit farming as the benefits attract more farm income.
Conclusions
- Accessibility to information has improved as Table 8 showed that neighbours sensitized more farmers to start rabbit farming unlike before when extension officers (Livestock and Agriculture) were believed to be change agents. However, rabbit farmers still did not have full information about rabbit products/benefits which was a knowledge gap existing that Livestock extension officers must bridge as they avail these information through trainings. It would attract more farmers to rabbit farming if they realized that there are other products that could fetch better prices both in local and foreign markets. For instance Countries that experience severe winter season require a lot of white rabbit skin which is easy to dye for manufacturing slippers and caps for their citizens and winter tourists. Government sponsored programs like NALEP (National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Program) have improved on levels of rabbit farming.
- Rabbit farming need to be encouraged for its product and benefits that farmers could benefit from, especially those with limiting space to invest in other heavy capital In the literature review analysis on nutritive value of rabbit product (white meat) was immense and society that wanted to be healthy could benefit from this product.
- Animal protein is scarce to the low income sections of our society due to high prices so to improve their diet other animal protein sources need to be expanded, so that they can be able to access their food and eventually sell the excess for an income. Animal protein consumed in the country and in the Akwa Ibom Central district is below the FAO recommended quantity, and then rabbit farming would assist in bridging the gap if more farmers started rearing rabbits to supplement the shortage, especially the resource poor who are not likely to be able to purchase other animal proteins due to high prices.
- Environmentally rabbit farming is friendly since rabbits are known for being prolific, rabbits are also herbivores which efficiently convert fodder to food. Rabbit rearing does not require forest and grassland clearing of the magnitude required for cattle production, they do not require a whole crop field feed to convert it to meat, they do not trample on soils loosening them and they release dung in form of small and dry pellets which retain their nitrogen and efficiently fertilize the soil, so would be appropriate for urban farming since it would be easy to control the pollution encountered from other livestock
- Rabbit rearing would also help address some of the MDG goals; MDG goal number one is Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, number six is Combating HIV /AIDS, malaria and other diseases and number seven is Ensuring environmental Also the country’s development plan Vision 2030 through its economic pillar, has targeted agriculture and livestock production improvement to ensure food security and value addition on farm produce to increase wealth and job creation, rabbit farming could contribute to that vision.
Recommendations
The findings and conclusion of this study indicate that due to governments programs in Itu promoting rabbit farming more farmers are accepting rabbit as a source of food, manure and income. However, more information about other rabbit benefits have not been availed to farmers which would encourage many more as they explore and engage other lucrative markets to increase their income.
- The Government could use media especially the local language stations since the study has indicated that some farmers got initial rabbit farming ideas from the media, however, there should be an initiative to invite extension officers to these stations so as to give appropriate message which when left to media people there are gaps or misinformation released to the multitudes
- The rabbit farming inputs like breeding materials should be made available to avoid in breeding that would otherwise affect rabbit farming if not controlled as their multiplication is very high. Also the rabbit supplement feeds were not available in the local markets, once the rabbit population increases agro vet traders need to avail the feeds and other requirements
- The youth should be empowered to participate in farming activities especially rabbit farming by availing funds since their borrowing power is limited by lack of collateral. The older generation should be encouraged to support the youth by sharing out some land that they would utilize for farming activities
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