Rabbit industry pins hopes on exports for survival

Despite very low local demand and prices, industry stakeholders still believe there is potential for a viable rabbit meat industry in South Africa aimed at the export market.

- Lindi Botha

Rabbit farmers in South Africa are still struggling to make ends meet after investing in businesses that were touted as being highly profitable, but failed to deliver any income in some instances.

However, hope remains as regulations and structures currently being put in place should create more stability.

Investment in farms aimed at producing rabbit meat soared in and around 2017, with producers being promised high returns on their investments.

Two years later, farmers started exiting the industry in droves as export markets failed to materialise and the cost of production exceeded market prices.

This was according to Dirk Louw, a rabbit farmer that left the industry in 2020. Not being able to export meant that rabbit meat farming was not feasible, he said.