Farmer beats stigma to multiply returns from rabbit rearing
Rabbits in a farm in Kisumu County. Rabbit rearing is turning out to be a lucrative economic activity. Photo/File
By MWANGI MUIRURI
Posted Monday, January 28 2013 at 18:35
Posted Monday, January 28 2013 at 18:35
In Summary
- Rabbit farming has made it possible for Mr Gichuhi to meet top leaders in the country, including former President Moi and President Kibaki.
- Since 1989, he has been receiving the national Best Rabbit Breeders’ trophy from presidents as they open trade fairs.
By the time Godfrey Gichuhi quit his clerical job in 1972, he had made up his mind that he was going into farming.
Yet, as he struggled to make ends meet as a
farmer, little did he know that his breakthrough would come from his
childhood passion — keeping rabbits.
“Everything was a struggle until I ventured into rabbit breeding,” says Mr Gichuhi, 74, and a father of seven.
Today, nothing would entice him to look for an alternative income-generating activity.
“If the government offered me a job as a District Commissioner, I would politely say no,” he says.
Besides travelling to various countries in eastern
Africa, rabbit farming has made it possible for Mr Gichuhi to meet top
leaders in the country, including former President Daniel arap Moi and
President Mwai Kibaki.
“Since 1989, I have been receiving the national
Best Rabbit Breeders’ trophy from presidents as they open trade fairs.
Out of my experience in rabbit breeding, I have been invited to give
lectures on rabbit husbandry in neighbouring countries,” he says.
He has been to Tanzania, Uganda and the Congo to train farmers on modern rabbit breeding practices.
This being his 15th year in commercial rabbit
breeding, he confesses that it is a well paying occupation that has
transformed his financial fortunes.
And the man is thinking big since he says he has
sent three of his daughters to South Sudan to examine the viability of
opening a rabbit meat hotel in Juba.
From his earnings from the job, Mr Gichuhi has bought a plot and is now building a permanent house.
From his earnings from the job, Mr Gichuhi has bought a plot and is now building a permanent house.
“I know more is coming,” he says and discounts the
notion that there is no market for rabbit meat. According to him, the
demand for rabbit meat exceeds the supply.
“You only need to have rabbits that you want to
sell to realise that the market is ready and waiting,” he says and
challenges those with rabbits ready for sale to contact him.
He says that five-star hotels, butcheries and
individual buyers have been swamping him with supply tenders and he has
been unable to meet the demand.
“A hotel in Nairobi came to my farm and placed a
weekly order of 300 kilos of rabbit meat,” he says. That translates to
about 50 rabbits per week.
“I traversed my region trying to get joint
partnerships to meet the tender demand but there are not enough rabbits
for slaughter. I missed it,” he says.
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