The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
The escalating cost of rabbit pellets is posing a significant threat to Zimbabwe’s rabbit farming community, with fears that many farmers may be forced out of business if immediate action is not taken.
In Zimbabwe, a 50-kilogramme pack of rabbit pellets costs between US$25 and US$33, compared to South Africa, Kenya, Botswana, and Zambia where a similar product retails at between US$15 and US$17.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA) president, Mr Regis Nyamakanga attributed this price disparity to monopolies controlling the stock feed market in Zimbabwe, leading to unjustified price hikes that undermine the viability of farming.
“The escalating prices of agricultural inputs, such as stockfeed, is asphyxiating the country’s agricultural sector, which is the backbone of our economy. Unless something is done to address the situation, the revival of this vital sector will remain a pipedream and many farmers will be forced out of business,” he said.
He said there was an urgent need to open the agricultural input sector to more players to ensure fair pricing and sustainability in the farming industry.
Rabbit farming has emerged as a vital sector for creating employment, particularly in peri-urban and rural areas, but the escalating costs of agricultural inputs, especially stock feed, threaten to stifle its growth and economic contributions.
Recently speaking on the sidelines of a ZICORBA Feed Formulation workshop held in Harare, Nyamakanga said to mitigate these challenges, ZICORBA was exploring solutions such as on-farm feed mixing to reduce input costs and has sought expert assistance in this regard.
He, however, said: “The long-term solution lies in fostering competition and diversity in the agricultural input industry to safeguard the interests of farmers and sustain the growth of the sector.”
Rabbit farming in the country offers vast opportunities for economic empowerment and development in line with Zimbabwe’s rural industrialisation agenda.
The Government has recognised rural industrialisation as key to the attainment of an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Prior to the formation of the ZICORBA in July 2020, the country’s cuniculture industry had become moribund amid limited support with the only remaining producers being backyard farmers.
Since its formation, rabbit production in the country has undergone significant transformation on the back of a raft of strategies being implemented by the association across the country.
Such strategies include the national rabbit farmer training programme targeting existing and prospective farmers from all 10 provinces of the country.
In 2020, the Government approved the Livestock Recovery and Growth Plan (2021-2026) whose main thrust is to put in place solid interventions to address livestock production and productivity issues.
