Zim to launch abattoir for rabbit meat

Harare, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe is poised to launch a rabbit abattoir, making the country the second country in Africa after South Africa to process the meat for export markets, a top official of the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA), has said.

ZICORBA president, Regis Nyamakanga told NewZiana work on the facility, with a capacity to process between two and three tonnes of rabbit meat per day, had been completed.

“We can confirm that one of our corporate members, Raymeg Consultants Private Limited, has successfully completed construction of Zimbabwe’s first ever rabbit meat export abattoir in Harare at a total cost of nearly US$1 million. This included purchase of a 2.5 hectare piece of land, construction and the importation of the requisite equipment.

“In terms of capacity, our abattoir is probably the biggest rabbit meat processing facility in Africa,” Nyamakanga said.

Zimbabwe, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda are among the top producers of rabbits in Africa.

Studies show that the global rabbit consumption stood at 1.5 million tonnes in 2017, picking up by 2.9 percent against the previous year. The total consumption volume increased an average annual rate of +2.8 percent from 2007 to 2017.

China accounts for the lion’s share of the global rabbit meat consumption at 925 000 tonnes or 62 percent, followed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea at 154 000 tonnes and Egypt at 57 000 tonnes.

The ZICORBA chief also revealed that leading local supermarket chains and private butcheries had agreed to sell rabbit and that currently a number of outlets in Harare, Marondera, Chitungwiza, Bindura and Murate were selling the product, which is the healthiest white meat. The local market for rabbit meat is largely untapped.
New Ziana