Mr Charles Grunitzky, the Akatsi South Municipal Director of Agriculture, has said the commercial production of rabbits can create multiple streams of income for practitioners or breeders.
He said rabbit production is a lucrative business because “it can create multiple streams of income.”
He indicated that apart from raising rabbits for meat, skin, wool and as laboratory animals, its droppings and urine could be added as an additional enterprise.
Mr Grunitzky made these statements at a training session on the rearing of rabbits, for farmers, and staff of the Assembly under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture on Saturday.
The exercise was aimed at boosting the local economy of Akatsi South by creating jobs, increased income, improving governance, and placing the municipality in a better position of performance.
“Apart from the use of rabbit droppings as manure, research experiments and trials have proved that rabbit urine works as fertilizer and pesticide simultaneously, and this can be used in addressing the issue of high cost of fertilizers and its untimely availability,” he said.
Mr Grunitzky also revealed that the urine of rabbits is non-toxic to humans and environmentally friendly.
He further appealed to Mr Bernard Ahiafor, Member of Parliament for the Akatsi South, Non-Governmental Organisations and donor agencies such as the Korean Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA), Good Neighbours, the Lions Club, and others to support the Department in setting up a Rabbit Breeding Centre in Akatsi South to serve as a breeding and learning centre.
Dr Saviour Denueme, the Municipal Veterinary Officer, added that rabbits, when kept in clean environments and safe from harsh weather conditions, could do well without medication unless otherwise.
Mr Kofitsey Martin Nyahe, the Municipal Chief Executive for Akatsi South and a participant of the event, expressed his continuous support for the initiative.
He started that their outfit would also develop and increase production of other agricultural activities in the area.
Mr Nyahe later acquired two females (Does) and one male (Buck) to be raised in his backyard to serve as motivation to others in the Municipality.
The training, held at the Akatsi South Municipal Assembly Hall, was on the topic “Rabbit Production in Akatsi South Municipality- Benefits and Prospects.”
By Agbaxode Emmanuel, GNA