Baguio City, Philippines – Aside from being called the “summer capital”, this city would someday become the “rabbit capital” of the country once the newly initiated rabbit raising industry will be realized.
Mr. Wilson Yabut, resource speaker, rabbit raiser, and vice president of the Irisan Rabbitry Farmers Association (IRFA) in Baguio, revealed this through the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera following the distribution of rabbits and feeds to identified beneficiaries in the city.
According to Yabut, Baguio City has an advantage when it comes to rabbit raising, given its climate, location, and availability of natural resources.
Being a recipient of a P10 million fund from the Department of Agriculture for its Livestock Banner Program, purposely for rabbit raising, chicken production, and beekeeping, the Baguio City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO) started distributing 1,800 rabbits to 300 starting rabbit raisers in the city on Monday, September 20, 2021.
This is after the identified beneficiaries were oriented on the Rabbit Raising for Food Security held at the Covered Court Slaughter Compound.
Each of the beneficiaries received six rabbits, composed of two bucks and four does, and a 25-kilogram feeds to start the rabbit production program. According to DA-Cordillera, CVAO will be monitoring the progress of the said program.
Another distribution was also done on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 21 and 22, for other beneficiaries.
CVAO Chief Dr. Brigit Piok also shared that rabbit production can fill the gaps of nutrient deficiency and food insufficiency. She said that educating the public on the benefits of rabbit meat such as its nutritional value, which is a good source of protein, and qualities of being less in cholesterol, safe, and tasty meat, will motivate them to try consuming it.
Meantime, the city government, she said, plans to include rabbit slaughter facilities in the city to make said meat become more visible in the market.
As recalled, DA has considered the production of rabbits as an alternative to pork meat since rabbit has a shorter growing cycle, which makes it a better substitute to pork. This also aims to solve the economic problem and food insufficiency of vulnerable communities that were economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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