Many cultures breed rabbits for meat, but in the Philippines, they are still mostly seen as pets. Many people will cite the rabbit’s cuteness as the reason behind their hesitance to try it, but this is slowly changing as more Filipinos encounter rabbit dishes overseas, and most importantly, because of the efforts of rabbit raisers in the country.
The Veneracions have been farming rabbits since 2012, just as a few years after they retired from the garment industry. Like many Filipinos, their dream was to own their own farm business. They started as an integrated farm but decided to focus on rabbits when they realized its potential as a food source.
A few feet away, separated by a curtain of tarpaulin, is the beginning of the farm proper. There are rabbits in grow out cages. There’s an area that looks like it’s being readied for crops, and beyond that, an Association of Rabbit Meat Producers, Inc. -owned breeding facility —a quiet, well ventilated singles storey building that houses does and their kits.
Strict biosecurity measures are practiced. The great part about being an emerging industry is that it’s an opportunity to set and enforce Good Agricultural Practices , which is important if one wants to gain acceptance in the mainstream. As early as now, ARaMP stresses the importance of professionalizing rabbit production, whether they are raised in a backyard or on a farm.
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