YAP proposal #398: Rabbit Farming for Employment and Health (Rodgers Akwilini, Tanzania)

My Name is Rodgers Akwilini, 28, Tanzanian, and holder of a Post-Graduate Diploma in Information Technology. My Passion is agriculture and I have a dream to use my career combined with my passion and commitment to help my society alleviate extreme poverty through agriculture.

What is The Project All About?

The challenges of poverty, hunger and nutrition are endemic. In Tanzania a huge number of women, more than 65%, are living in extreme poverty. And a large number of children under five are suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. Lack of employment also has been a major problem that affects women and youths at a high rate.

The project seeks to ensure food security, improved nutritional status, and reduced poverty of marginal and small farmers and their families. It will boost agricultural production and improving income generating opportunities at the household and community levels through rabbit farming.

Why Rabbits Rearing/Farming

Rabbit production is one of the livestock enterprises with the greatest potential and room for expansion in Tanzania.

Studies have shown that rearing rabbits for meat production is a viable concept with ability to tackle nutrition challenges especially in the developing countries.

In recent years there has been increased awareness of the advantages of rabbit meat production in developing countries as a means to alleviate world food shortages. This is largely attributable to the rabbit’s high rate of reproduction, early maturity, rapid growth rate, high genetic selection potential, efficient feed and land space utilization; limited competition with humans for similar foods; and high-quality nutritious meat (100% white meat).

The realization that rabbits are well suited to rapid production of protein has increased the number of production units just like in poultry. Imperative Rabbit is higher in protein than other meats, lower in fat, has less calories and cholesterol free and contains essential minerals and vitamins.

Hence Rabbit meat has the Outstanding Export Market; if the Quality and Quantity of the product will meet the higher standards then I expect to affect the life of many members of my community as well as my fellow youth.

How Will this Work?

The main objective of the project which targets 100 households (for Startup) is to ensure food security, improve nutritional status and reduce the poverty through rabbit rearing. The Aim is to provide each of the targeted household/youth with the free 2 does and 1 sharing buck, and also sign a contract/sales agreement with the farmers to ensure them with the reliable and constant market of their rabbit’s products.

I will create the awareness though different channels and media to attract internal and external markets for rabbit meat and its other products, hence I will be sure to have the constant supply of rabbit’s products from my contracted farmers which will increase credibility and market opportunities.

The Project will be able to help my community especially youth and women in eradicating extremely poverty and Hunger and also improve their income on the way, also the project is expected to have 10,000 registered and contracted farmer in 5years plan.

Currently, I have 60 hybrids Rabbits and 1acre piece of land I plan to increase the production to create more breeders, this will meet the plan of providing the first 100 households with two free breeders (2 does) and every 5 household will share 1 buck

Success Indicators

My measurable success in one year Includes but not limited to how many farmers I have registered and provide the startup package (I expect to start with 100 Households/farmers); how many Key Players have I worked with—this includes government agriculture departments, universities, and other stakeholders (at least 20); and also how many new markets we have created and products we established what will be the chain of our products.

Other Impacts I expect to made in one year includes

• Enhancement of the nutritional status of farm families, especially the children and women members through increased consumption of rabbit meat.
• Increased food availability in local markets and reduction of food insecurity and risk of hunger at the community level.
• Increased income of over 100 households. This will be instrumental in alleviating poverty and thus a step towards achieving the millennium development goal on poverty reduction
• Creation of employment for youths
• Enhancement of the knowledge base and skills of small-scale rural farmers in modern production, processing and marketing practices.
• Increased awareness on rabbit rearing for nutritional value in the country.

Proposed Budget for USD 5,000

• Rabbit Cages/nest boxes USD 1,400
• Buying Hybrids Rabbit Species USD 1000
• Planting of Green Vegetables, Hay’s and other food USD 900
• Other input per year (labour) USD 1,000
• Communication/marketing and training USD 700

 

Blogpost and picture submitted by Rodgers Akwilini (Tanzania): rodgyporgy[at]gmail.com

The content, structure and grammar are at the discretion of the author only.

 

This post is published as proposal #398 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.

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