DA Encourages Rabbit Raising

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for rabbit raising in peri-urban and urban areas as part of their initiative for food security.

In a memorandum circular released last Feb 6, the DA issued guidelines on rabbit raising areas for the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)’s National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP).

“Through this program, the BAI will encourage rabbit meat raising through the provision of starter modules to qualified recipients/households. This will create awareness of the potential of rabbit raising as an alternative source of income,” mentioned the DA.

The agency says that raising rabbits can be an additional income source, especially for households or farmers in peri-urban or urban areas.

Rabbit meat is said to have high protein, iron, and minerals, and is low in cholesterol.

“The project intends to establish and sustain rabbit production for meat in urban and peri­ urban areas by providing starter modules (breeder stocks, cages, feeds, and technical assistance) for the women and men beneficiaries. Furthermore, it aims to promote rabbit meat production as a source of food and livelihood,”  as stated in the circular.

To be part of the program, the recipients should have an area of a minimum of 200 square meters.

Applicants must submit a letter of intent to the BAI Director and should be part of a farmer group, households, or institutions to be grouped for biosecurity or monitoring purposes.

This program “aims to make food abundant in urban and peri-urban areas by supporting the establishment of community gardens and farms while increasing awareness on human health through nutrition and inspiring citizens to contribute to innovative, economic, and environmentally sustainable food systems towards the uplifting of Filipino communities.”

Source: Philstar