Harare (New Ziana) – The Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA) said on Monday it was currently engaging leading local stock feed manufacturers to avert a looming nation-wide shortage of rabbit pellets.

Association President Regis Nyamakanga said the market was facing shortages of key inputs for the production of rabbit pellets, raising fears of the product’s under-supply.

“Over the past few days, we have received numerous reports of shortages of rabbit pellets, which, if left unchecked could asphyxiate cuniculture production at a time when the industry is experiencing an upward trajectory,” he said.

Nyamakanga said maize brans, a key input in the production of rabbit pellets, was in short supply following a government ban on imports in view of the nation’s handsome agricultural harvest this year.

“The country is short of brans and rabbit pellets recipes are highly dependent on brans. The government recently banned importation of maize bran following this season’s bumper harvest. However, the reality is that whenever (we) have a maize bumper harvest, demand for commercial roller meal declines leading to a shortage of bran,” he said, urging the government to revisit the ban on the importation brans.

But all was not gloomy yet.

Nyamakanga said some leading rabbit pellet producers had pledged to release more product onto the market shortly to avert possible shortages.

“Some of the leading stock feed manufacturers have assured us that they will release more product on to the market this week to ensure that rabbit production continues unencumbered,” he said.

The rabbit industry in the country has been growing steadily and is projected to benefit 1.8 million households in Zimbabwe through improved livelihoods and employment creation.

Zimbabwe’s leading stock feed producers are Capital Foods, National Foods and Agrifoods.
New Ziana