Pork, fish, chicken, and beef are the most common meats you would find being sold in public markets and grocery stores in the country.

But rabbit meat is a growing livestock industry in the country, with many Filipinos venturing into rabbit raising or rabbit farming to supply an increasing demand for this healthy alternative meat.

Also, the debilitating effect of the African Swine Fever (ASF) has opened the doors for rabbits as an alternative and healthy source of meat. Its utilization as an alternative meat can be traced to post -World War II, when rabbits were brought into the country by the United States Peace Corps to help alleviate food scarcity, an effect brought on by the war. However, many Filipinos considered rabbits as adorable pets, not as a food source.

A few years ago, with the ASF causing devastation to the hog industry, then Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, during the International Farmers Summit in 2020, said they were looking at the rabbit meat as a one of the “baskets of options” to fill in the gap and committing to provide the necessary backing to increase rabbit meat production in the country.

Despite being named after New Zealand, the rabbit breed originated in California in the United States. It is a common source of rabbit meat due to the quality of its meat, which has a high feed-to-meat ratio and fine bones. In temperate countries, it is also valued for its fur.

In the Philippines, preferred breeds aside from New Zealand include Californians, Flemish Giants, and Chinchillas. These varieties are known for their climate adaptability, high tolerance to diseases, and high reproduction rates, which make them ideal for commercial or home-based farming. “Pag five months pwede na sila mabuntis. Usually manganak sila mga walo kabuok (In five months they become sexually mature and can give birth, They usually have eight offspring),” said Jale.

He said rabbit farming is not that expensive as long as they have shelter and He mentioned that his rabbits require 60 kilograms of feed each month.

Aside from meat, they also sell rabbit bunnies for P300 a piece. New Zealand breeds are also popular as pets because they are docile and social, making them perfect as children's pets.

For Jale they are keen in expanding their knowledge in rabbit raising. He joins seminars on rabbit raising to efficiently increase their production. Also they are looking to enlarge their current market by joining fairs and expos to market their products.

Jale recently displayed their rabbits at the 25th Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE), held on September 28-30 at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City.

“Sa una mga private (fairs) lang mi naga apil. Karong tuig mi niapil dinhi (DATE) para makakita mi ug uban na market (In the past we joined private fairs. This year we joined DATE to look for other markets),” he said.

DATEthe largest agribusiness trade expo in Mindanao and aims to capacitate farmers and agricultural business entrepreneurs by showcasing new technologies, innovations, and solutions to help them level up and become competitive. (RGA/PIA Davao)